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White Structure

Matsutake Suimono (Clear Soup)

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A classic Japanese autumn soup, Matsutake Suimono (Clear Soup) is cooked with seasonal matsutake mushrooms, tofu and mitsuba herb in a clear dashi broth. It’s absolutely nourishing and packed with health benefits.

Matsutake Soup is a classic Japanese autumn soup with highly-prized fragrant matsutake mushrooms in clear dashi broth. This type of soup does not have miso paste, and is called Suimono or Osuimono which means “food you can sip”.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 matsutake mushroom (1.1 oz, 31 g; use other kinds of mushrooms if matsutake is not available)

  • 5 oz silken/soft tofu (3” x 1.5”, 7.6 x 3.8 cm)

  • 4 Temari Fu (wheat gluten) (optional; bought in Japan)

  • 4 sprigs mitsuba (Japanese parsley) (substitute it with a green onion/scallion)

  • Yuzu zest (or lemon peel)

For dashi

  • 2 cups water

  • 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) (0.2 oz, 5 g; 3” x 3”, 7.6 x 7.6 cm)

  • 1 cup katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) (0.4 oz; 1 handful)

For seasoning

  • 1 Tbsp sake

  • 2 tsp mirin

  • 2 tsp soy sauce

  • ½ tsp kosher/sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; Use half for table salt)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Gather all the ingredients.

To Prepare Ingredients

1. Clean the matsutake mushroom with damp paper towel. Because mushrooms act like a sponge, we try not to wash the mushroom. Shave off a thin sliver of the mushroom stem as if you are sharping a pencil with a knife. Cut into thin slices.

2. Tie mitsuba’s sprigs into a knot. If you use scallion, finely slice it.

To Make Dashi

1. Gently clean the dashi kombu with a damp cloth but leave the white powdery substances which contribute to the umami flavor in dashi. Do not wash the kombu.

2. In a medium pot, put the kombu in the water. Heat up slowly on medium-low heat. If you have time, soak for 3 hours ahead of time or preferably overnight. Kombu’s flavor comes out naturally from soaking in water.

3. When boiling, add the katsuobushi. Simmer for just 30 seconds and turn off the heat.

4. Strain the dashi through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl. Gently squeeze to release the extra dashi into the bowl.

To Make Soup

1. Transfer the dashi back to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the seasonings.

2. Cut tofu into small cubes and add to the soup. Then add sliced matsutake mushrooms and cook until ingredients are heated through, about 2-3 minutes.

 

3. Soak temari fu in water to hydrate. When temari fu is soft, squeeze water out and place it in a serving bowl.

4. Add mitsuba in the soup right before serving. Serve the soup into bowls.

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