Japanese Inspired Pea Soup

Japanese Inspired Pea Soup

Who doesn’t enjoy all the indulgences of the holidays, but it is nice to get back to simpler healthier fare as the new year begins and winter sets in in earnest. Refocusing on vegetables and reinventing some tried and true soup favorites is a great place to begin.

For me, that was revisiting a favorite traditional hearty pea soup, but this time with a lighter touch. The idea of introducing Japanese flavors had been floating around in my head and from there all the ingredients fell into place. Using a traditional Japanese dashi broth in lieu of chicken stock was an obvious choice and got things rolling. Adding some Japanese mushrooms sauteed with grated ginger, a pinch of chile, and a splash of sake would surely ramp up the flavor quotient, and some Japanese rice to thicken the broth would bring the soup into its own.

This is a relatively easy recipe to make and, luckily, there are a few handy short cuts that you may find in your supermarket or Asian market. Instant Japanese dashi comes in convenient sachets as do dehydrated Japanese mushrooms packaged along with seasoning for soups. Using frozen peas is just fine for soups and also cuts down your prep time.

By all means serve this soup piping hot during the cold months, but this soup is equally delicious and refreshing served chilled during the hot months!

Japanese Inspired Pea Soup        makes 2 liters

For the Dashi:  

Heat approximately 2 liters of water and bring to a simmer. Add instant dashi powder as directed on the packaging for the quantity of water. Keep the dashi at a near simmer to add to the soup as needed.

If instant dashi is not available use the traditional Japanese recipe. (click here)

Prepare the dashi and set it over low heat on the stove top.

For the soup:

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 smallish onions, peeled and finely diced
• 4 celery ribs, peeled and finely diced
• ½ cup + 2 tablespoons sake
• 1 ¾ liters dashi broth
• 250 g / 9 oz frozen green peas
• ½ cup Japanese rice
• 225 g/8 oz small shitaki, enoke, or shimeji (pictured) mushrooms, trimmed
• 1 inch knob of fresh ginger root, peeled and very finely grated and including the juice
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely grated
• ½ to 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
• freshly ground white pepper
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon pure ground red chile powder
• thinly sliced green onions for garnish

Select a medium size stock pot and heat it over medium flame. Add 1 ½ tablespoons of the vegetable oil and 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil. When the oil is hot add the onions and celery and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring from time to time. Continue to cook until the onions and celery are very soft.

Add ½ cup sake to the pot and simmer while stirring until the sake is completely absorbed into the onion mixture. Add the peas and rice to the pot and stir to combine. Then add about 1 ½ liters of hot dashi broth, bring to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring from time to time so the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pot.

While the soup ingredients are simmering you can prepare the mushrooms.

Place a large skillet on the stove over medium heat. When the skillet is hot add the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons of vegetable oil and 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil. When the oil is hot add the mushrooms and saute while stirring for a couple of minutes until the mushrooms begin to give up their moisture and soften a bit. Stir in the grated ginger and juice, garlic, and fish sauce and saute briefly. Then add 2 tablespoons of sake and continue to saute until the mushrooms are well glazed with the pan juices and the skillet is nearly dry. Promptly remove the skillet fro the heat and transfer about a quarter of the mushrooms to a bowl and set aside to use later to garnish the soup.

Spoon the rest of the mushrooms into the pot of soup and continue to simmer until the broth is reduced and the contents feel thick when stirred, about 15 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool for a couple of minutes. Then, using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth.

Add the sea salt, freshly ground white pepper, and red chile and blend until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning including a dash more fish sauce if needed. Blend once again until incorporated and the soup is the consistency you prefer. Stir in a little hot dashi to thin the soup if needed.

Serve promptly or cool to room temperature before refrigerating for later use.

Serving:

Ladle the hot soup into individual serving bowls and garnish with reserved sauteed mushrooms and very thinly sliced green onions scattered over the surface of the soup.

As mentioned, this soup is also lovely served cold during the hot season.