Clear Soup (すまし汁, Sumashijiru)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Medium pot
• •Fine-mesh strainer lined with a clean cloth
• •Lidded lacquer soup bowls, or small warmed bowls with saucers as lids

Instructions

1. 1

   Steep the konbu

   Wipe the konbu lightly with a damp cloth, but don't scrub it. The pale powder on the surface is not dirt, it's part of the flavor. Put the konbu and cold water in a pot and warm it slowly over low heat until small bubbles gather at the sides, about ten minutes. Lift the konbu out before the water boils, because boiling pulls bitterness and cloudiness from the kelp.

   You are steeping the konbu, not cooking it hard. Protecting the clarity begins here.
2. 2

   Add bonito flakes

   Bring the water just to a gentle boil, add the katsuobushi all at once, and immediately turn off the heat. Leave the pot alone for two to three minutes, until the flakes sink. Don't stir. Stirring muddies the stock and draws out harsher flavors you don't need.

3. 3

   Strain the dashi

   Line a fine-mesh strainer with a clean cloth or sturdy paper towel and strain the dashi into a clean pot. Let it drip by itself. Don't squeeze the flakes, because squeezing presses out oily, rough flavors and clouds the clear gold stock. This is ichiban dashi, the first stock, and it should smell clean and faintly smoky.

4. 4

   Season the broth

   Add the sake, usukuchi shōyu, and salt to the dashi. Warm it gently and taste. It should be savory and clear, with the salt supporting the stock rather than announcing itself. If it tastes flat, add a pinch of salt. If it tastes thin, the answer is better dashi, not more soy.

5. 5

   Warm the fillings

   Add the tofu cubes and shiitake caps and warm them gently for two to three minutes. Keep the broth below a hard boil. A rolling boil roughens the tofu, dulls the mushroom aroma, and disturbs the clean surface you worked for.

6. 6

   Assemble the bowls

   Place one tofu cube and one shiitake cap in each warmed soup bowl. Ladle the clear broth around them, not over them, so the arrangement stays calm. Finish each bowl with one sprig of mitsuba and one strip of yuzu peel. Cover with lids and serve at once, while the aroma is still gathered inside.

Chef Tips

• •Use good konbu and fresh katsuobushi packets. This soup has nothing hidden, so old flakes or dusty kelp will speak very loudly for themselves.
• •For a meatless table, make the stock from konbu and dried shiitake. Soak both overnight in cold water, then warm gently and strain. That is temple-kitchen honmono, not a compromise.
• •Usukuchi shōyu is lighter in color but usually saltier than dark soy sauce. Use it for clear soup because it seasons without turning the broth brown.
• •Choose only one or two fillings. A clear soup crowded with ingredients becomes a small stew, and a good stew is not what we are making.

Advance Preparation

• •The konbu may soak in the cold water overnight in the refrigerator for a rounder, gentler stock.
• •Ichiban dashi keeps for two days refrigerated. Warm it gently before seasoning and do not boil it hard.
• •Cut the tofu, score the shiitake, and prepare the yuzu peel a few hours ahead. Keep them covered and chilled until the soup is ready.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 260g)