Sumashijiru is the basic soup of Japanese cuisine. Contrary to its clear appearance, you can fully enjoy the flavor of dashi broth. It is recommended for those who love the taste of dashi and also for those who have not experienced it before.
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What is Sumashijiru?
Sumashijiru is a traditional Japanese clear soup made from dashi broth, seasoned with salt and light soy sauce. Sumashi means clear, and jiru refers to soup. It's a simple dish that allows you to savor the elegant flavor of dashi.
There are various types of dashi available, and you can use any type for this dish, but I recommend using awase dashi, which is a combination of kombu dashi and bonito dashi. When made with these ingredients, the umami flavor becomes even more pronounced and exquisite.
This recipe includes instructions on how to make awase dashi. However, if you'd like to learn more about the process of making dashi in detail, please refer to the links below.
To learn more about how to make "Kombu Dashi."
To learn more about how to make "Bonito Dashi."
About soy sauce used
The type of soy sauce recommended for sumashijiru is light soy sauce. The difference between light soy sauce and regular soy sauce lies in their colors and salt contents. Light soy sauce has a lighter color compared to regular soy sauce and a slightly higher salt concentration.
The reason for using light soy sauce in sumashijiru is to achieve a clean and transparent appearance. However, if you don't mind the soup having a slightly darker color, you can substitute regular soy sauce. There won't be a significant difference in flavor.
Typical ingredients
The ingredients commonly used in sumashijiru include mitsuba (Japanese parsley), kamaboko (fish cake), shiitake mushrooms, small shrimp, and fu (wheat gluten).
As sumashijiru focuses on enjoying the flavors of the soup itself, it's better to use a smaller amount of ingredients. When the emphasis is on the ingredients themselves, it is called "suimono," and in Japan, it is considered a different dish from sumashijiru.
Ingredients
- 0.18 oz. (5g) kombu (dried kelp)
- 0.18 oz. (5g) bonito flakes
- 2 cups (500ml) water
- 6 slices kamaboko (fish cake)
- 1 shiitake mushroom
- 6-8 leaves mitsuba (Japanese parsley)
- 1 Tbsp sake (A)
- pinch of salt (A)
- 1 tsp light soy sauce (regular soy sauce can be substituted) (A)
Step-by-step instructions
🕒 Total 50 mins
If you already have dashi, start from step 5.
Step 1
Put water and kombu in a pot and let it sit for at least 30 minutes until the kombu softens.
Step 2
Heat the pot over very low heat for about 10 minutes (for 2 servings). When small bubbles appear on the surface of the liquid, remove the kombu.
Step 3
Increase the heat and bring the water (kombu dashi) to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low, add the bonito flakes, and simmer for 2 minutes.
Step 4
Turn off the heat and strain the mixture through a sieve lined with paper towels or cloth (such as cheesecloth). Awase dashi, which is a combination of kombu dashi and bonito dashi, is ready.
Step 5
Cut the kamaboko into 0.2 inch (5mm) slices. Remove the stem from the shiitake mushroom and slice the cap into 6 pieces. As for mitsuba, remove the leaves from the stems.
Step 6
Put the dashi, kamaboko, shiitake mushrooms, and A (sake, salt, light soy sauce) in a pot, and simmer until the ingredients are cooked.
Step 7
Serve in individual bowls and top with the mitsuba leaves.
To Store
You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Tips on how to make
- It is recommended to use serving bowls with a color other than black inside. Using bowls with a bright interior will enhance visibility.
Recipe Card
Sumashijiru (Japanese Traditional Clear Soup)
Ingredients
- 0.18 oz. (5g) kombu (dried kelp)
- 0.18 oz. (5g) bonito flakes
- 2 cups (500ml) water
- 6 slices kamaboko (fish cake)
- 1 shiitake mushroom
- 6-8 leaves mitsuba (Japanese parsley)
- 1 Tbsp sake (A)
- pinch of salt (A)
- 1 tsp light soy sauce (regular soy sauce can be substituted) (A)
Instructions
- Put water and kombu in a pot and let it sit for at least 30 minutes until the kombu softens.
- Heat the pot over very low heat for about 10 minutes (for 2 servings). When small bubbles appear on the surface of the liquid, remove the kombu.
- Increase the heat and bring the water (kombu dashi) to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low, add the bonito flakes, and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and strain the mixture through a sieve lined with paper towels or cloth (such as cheesecloth). Awase dashi, which is a combination of kombu dashi and bonito dashi, is ready.
- Cut the kamaboko into 0.2 inch (5mm) slices. Remove the stem from the shiitake mushroom and slice the cap into 6 pieces. As for mitsuba, remove the leaves from the stems.
- Put the dashi, kamaboko, shiitake mushrooms, and A (sake, salt, light soy sauce) in a pot, and simmer until the ingredients are cooked.
- Serve in individual bowls and top with the mitsuba leaves.
Notes
- If you already have dashi, start from step 5.
- You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
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