Clean out the fridge, Japanese style

Posted by Michael on Dec 27, 2010 in Recipes | 0 comments

I am in a grocery store every day.  I generally do not shop with a shopping list.  The result?  Loads of great looking ingredients with nothing specific in mind to make with them.

So every once in a while, soup is in order.  Sometimes it’s Italian themed, with tomatoes, sausage, pancetta or bacon, vegetables, fresh herbs, leftover rice or pasta, any number of cheeses, and of course a rich stock of chicken and/or vegetable stock.

Lately I’ve been eating as much Asian foods as anything else, so I find my fridge getting full of things like bok choy, nappa cabbage, green onions, ginger, tofu and much more.  A good problem to have.

So now that I’ve discovered that the Scoop & Save Store in Fredericton carries kombu kelp and bonito flakes, essential ingredients for the Japanese soup stock known as Dashi, I have the proper base for a clean out the fridge delight, Japanese style.

Here’s a great, super simple soup that really is just a starting point.  Feel free to add virtually any ingredient you may have seen in any kind of Asian dish before.  Got extra pork, squid, carrots, kimchi or lemongrass?  Toss ‘em in.

Then go shopping.

Soup with lots of stuff an udon noodles.

2 sheets kombu kelp (see note)

1 to 2 cups bonito flakes, depending how strong you like the flavour (see note)

a litre or so of water, enough to make a main course soup for me, my wife and daughter.  Thanks.

Chopped fresh carrot

Chopped bok choy or nappa cabbage

finely chopped garlic and / or ginger

chopped green onions as desired

chopped firm tofu as desired

A package of fresh udon noodles

A couple of tablespoons of miso paste

Place the kombu sheets in the soup pot and cover with cold water.  Slowly bring to the boiling point over medium heat, about 10 to 12 minutes.  Before the water boils, remove the kombu sheets (you can save them to use in other recipes or discard.  I just freeze them for later use).   Add the bonito flakes and let the soup simmer for four minutes.  Pour the stock into a large bowl or pot through a fine strainer, then return the strained stock to the pot.  Begin adding ingredients in the order of which ones take the longest to cook, which would mean adding carrots or other root vegetables first, simmering for a few minutes then adding cabbage or bok choy, garlic, ginger, green onion, tofu, udon noodles, etc.   Let simmer until the udon noodles are tender.  Just before serving, add the miso paste.   You may also like the soup with a bit of toasted sesame oil and a topping of dried seaweed flakes, which are also surprisingly available at the Scoop & Poop Store in Fredericton.

Notes:  Most Asian greocery stores and markets will carry a powdered dashi stock or even a concentrated liquid stock.  As with powdered chicken stock, it’s not quite the same thing but it’ll do in a pinch.  Get the real stuff when you get a chance.

Miso paste can be found at most Asian markets.  I buy mine at Linja Gifts and Oriental Foods in the Saint John City Market.

Please note:  Making a soup like this is an extremely healthy thing to do, but that WAS NOT MY INTENTION.  Don’t write me hate mail.

Fresh udon, sold in four packs.  I found these at Ming’s Grocery on Prince William Street in Saint John.