chicken bones, such as backs, peeled necks, wings
1 large onion, quartered
6 peppercorns, crushed
2-inch length fresh ginger root, peeled
1 carrot, sliced
1. Combine all the ingredients in a soup kettle, bring to a boil, and simmer partially covered for 1 ½ hours. Skim off froth.
2. Line a colander with 2 or 3 layers of cheesecloth and strain the stock, discarding the bones. Adjust yield to 4 cups either by adding water or boiling down excess broth.
3. Strain a second time and chill. Remove the fat that congeals on the surface. Refrigerate and use as required. Result should be a clear, amber-colored stock without a trace of fat.
| Yield: About 4 cups | Cooking time: 1½ hours |
| Calories per cup: 40 | Total fat: 0 g |
| Saturated Fat: 0 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0 g |
| Cholesterol: 0 mg | Sodium: 20 mg |
Soybean Curd and Scallion Soup
(Tofu no Suimono)
½-inch slice of fresh ginger root
4 cups dashi (p. 9), or chicken stock (p. 10)
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
4 ounces soybean curd (tofu), cut into 4 equal parts
4 thin rounds of carrot
2 scallions, cut into very thin circles
Powdered sansho (Japanese pepper), or black pepper, to taste
1. Mince the ginger root and extract the juice (1 teaspoon). Set aside.
2. Bring dashi to a boil. Add the soy sauce and tofu and simmer 3 or 4 minutes.
3. Add carrots and simmer 1 more minute. Add the ginger juice.
4. Garnish with scallions and sprinkle pepper to taste.
| Yield: 4 servings | Cooking time: 10 minutes |
| Calories per serving: 75 | Total fat: 2 g |
| Saturated Fat: 0.5 g | Polyunsaturated fat: 1 g |
| Cholesterol: 0 mg | Sodium: 70 mg |
Shrimp and Snow Pea Soup
(Ebi no Suimono)
4 medium shrimps
4 cups dashi (p. 9), or chicken stock (p. 10)
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
4 snow peas
4 small sprigs watercress
4 thin strips lemon peel
Powdered sansho (Japanese pepper), or black pepper to taste
1. Bring 2 cups water to a boil. Drop in the shrimp and boil 2-3 minutes or until they turn pink. Drain, shell, and devein. Set aside.
2. Bring the dashi to a boil. Add the soy sauce, snow peas, and shrimps and cook 30 seconds.
3. Arrange a shrimp, snow pea, and watercress sprig at the bottom of each bowl in a pleasing design. Pour hot soup on top being careful not to disturb the arrangement. Float a strip of lemon peel on top and sprinkle a dash of sansho over all. Serve hot.
| Yield: 4 servings | Cooking time: 10 minutes |
| Calories per serving: 60 | Total fat: 1.4 g |
| Saturated fat: Trace | Polyunsaturated fat: 0.5 g |
| Cholesterol: 15 mg | Sodium: 85 mg |
Variation: Cooked chicken may be substituted for the shrimp.
Clam Soup
(Hamaguri Ushiojitate)
8 small live cherrystone clams in shells
4 cups dashi (p. 9), chicken stock (p. 10), or water
4 mushrooms
¼-½ teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce taste
1 tablespoon Japanese saké
4 sprigs trefoil (mitsuba), or watercress leaves
4 very thin slices lemon or lime
Powdered sansho (Japanese pepper) or black pepper to taste
1. Scrub clams thoroughly under cold running water to remove sand.
2. Combine clams and water and bring to a boil over high heat. Continue to boil until clam shells open. Skim off froth.
3. Add mushrooms, soy sauce and saké 1 and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat.
4. Place 2 clams in their shells in each of 4 bowls Decoratively garnish with a mushroom, trefoil or watercress leaf, and lemon slice. Strain the broth as you fill each bowl, being careful not to disturb the arrangement. Serve hot.
| Yield: 4 servings | Cooking time: 10 minutes |
| Calories per serving: 70 | Total fat: 0.5 g |
| Saturated fat: Trace | Polyunsaturated fat: Trace |
| Cholesterol: 15 mg | Sodium: 75 mg |
Variation: Parboiled snow peas or asparagus tips may be included or substituted for the mushrooms.
Clear Soup with Soybean Paste
(Misoshiru)
Breakfast would not be breakfast for most Japanese without misoshiru. A simple soup flavored with soybean paste, it is also served at the end of a formal Japanese meal. Like soy sauce, miso is used as a flavoring in many Japanese dishes. Unfortunately it is very high in sodium, though exact counts are difficult to ascertain because of tremendous variation in its production.* Two types are usually
