Wakame Shiitake Soup

Wakame Shiitake Soup

Back in June we received some omiyage from our friends visiting from Tokyo - Yum! We’ve already eaten all of the arare you see in the sakura package below. But it has taken me a while to think of something to make with that freeze dried tofu.

Tokyo Omiyage

I’ve never cooked with it, or even tasted it before. But I thought I’d try it out in this wakame shiitake broth.

Basically, I poached 2 pieces of chicken tenderloin in about 3 cups of water. When it was cooked I took it out and cut it into bite sized pieces.

Next I put in a sheet of dashi konbu and several dried shiitake mushrooms and let that boil on a medium heat.

Wakame Shiitake Soup

In the mean time I soaked and rinsed out a couple pieces of that freeze dried tofu in a separate bowl. I also boiled and drained one bunch of soba noodles.

By this time about 10 minutes had passed by. I took out the piece of konbu and shiitake mushroms. I tossed the konbu but sliced up the mushrooms to add back into the soup. I also added in the tofu, chicken, and soba noodles letting this cook together for about 5 more minutes. Also at this point I gave it a taste and added a splash of shoyu, some salt, and a bunch of dried wakame.

I have to say the taste of the freeze dried tofu was very interesting. Kind of…spongy, I guess. The broth was nice and light though. It went well with the soba noodles. I would make this soup again, but probably with regular tofu.

Do any of you have a recipe you like using this type of freeze dried tofu?

13 comments

1 kat { 07.29.08 at 12:04 am }

After reconstituting it, I usually just boil the koyadofu in 3 cups dashi, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 tablespoon sugar, 2 tablespoons mirin and 2 tablespoons sake.

2 Lori { 07.29.08 at 12:05 am }

Thanks kat, I was hoping you’d have a recipe for this! :D

3 Mica { 07.29.08 at 1:16 am }

Sorry, i don’t have any recipe to share with you but I just wanted to let you know that you made me hungry by just reading your recipe! I think I’ll try it out myself, and like you, with regular tofu :-)

4 kat { 07.29.08 at 3:21 am }

oh, I forgot to mention, we eat this right out of the refrig, great for summer! heat them up during winter….eat over the bowl, you will drip…

5 Lori { 07.29.08 at 3:29 am }

Hi Mica,
I hope you enjoy this light soba soup! :)

Hi kat,
That sounds like a great idea to eat it cold out of the fridge. It’s so hot here right now!

6 noble pig { 07.29.08 at 4:15 am }

Well it looks super cool that’s for sure. So authentic too and interesting but I’d never heard of freeze-dried tofu.

7 rowena { 07.29.08 at 9:54 am }

Freeze-dried tofu is a first for me. I wonder if it would taste good if you took the reconstituted stuff, chopped it up and added it to scrambled eggs with green onions? That’s what I often do when I’m back home and want to cut the cholesterol and stretch my supply of eggs.

8 Lori { 07.29.08 at 3:49 pm }

Hi noble pig,
It was a first for me too. It’s a very interesting texture. ;)

Hey rowena,
Thanks for the idea about stretching scrambled eggs. That’s great that you cut your cholesterol by doing that!

9 jenny { 07.30.08 at 10:31 am }

YuM! That looks delicious! Anything brothy is good for me…^_^

10 Kevin { 07.30.08 at 2:59 pm }

That looks like one tasty soup.

11 Lori { 07.31.08 at 12:21 am }

Hi jenny,
I’m also a brothy person - saimin, soba, udon…. ;)

Hi Kevin,
Thanks, it was nice and light. Perfect for summer!

12 Ashley { 08.04.08 at 6:40 am }

Thanks for posting such a neat recipe! I grew up eating kyoadofu the way my grandma prepares it (just simmered with dashi, sugar, sake, and a little shoyu) and never thought to use it any other way! This sounds delicious and I think I’ll try it!

13 Lori { 08.06.08 at 9:04 pm }

Hi Ashley,
Thanks for stopping by, I’ll have to try it that way you and kat have had it! :)