Japanese Clear Soup (Osumashi) Recipe
Japanese Clear Soup, or Osumashi, is a delicate and flavorful broth made from dashi stock, lightly seasoned with usukuchi soy sauce and salt, enhanced with traditional ingredients like kamaboko fish cake, fu (wheat gluten), shiitake mushrooms, and mitsuba (Japanese parsley). This soup is perfect as a light appetizer or a comforting dish that showcases the umami flavors of Japanese cuisine.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus 30 minutes to 4 hours for dashi steeping)
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes to 4 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Japanese
- Diet: Low Fat
Ingredients
Scale
Dashi Stock
- 3⅓ cups dashi (Japanese soup stock) (Awase Dashi made with kombu and katsuobushi; use vegan dashi for vegan/vegetarian option)
- 4 cups water
- 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) (10 g; 4 x 4 inches, 10 x 10 cm per piece)
- 1 cup katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) (packed)
Soup Seasonings
- 2 tsp usukuchi (light-colored) soy sauce (use gluten-free soy sauce for gluten-free option)
- ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Soup Ingredients
- 8 slices kamaboko (fish cake) (omit for vegan/vegetarian option)
- 8 pieces fu (wheat gluten) (omit for gluten-free option)
- 2 shiitake mushrooms
- 4 sprigs mitsuba (Japanese parsley)
Instructions
- Prepare Dashi Stock: Soak 1 piece kombu in 4 cups water and steep for at least 30 minutes or up to 4–5 hours (cold brew overnight if preferred). Slowly heat the water and kombu over medium-low heat until just before boiling (about 10 minutes), then remove kombu. Add 1 cup katsuobushi, bring to a boil again, then simmer for 30 seconds and turn off heat. Let katsuobushi settle for 10 minutes.
- Strain Dashi: Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding or saving the kombu and katsuobushi for other uses.
- Prepare Soup Ingredients: Soak fu (wheat gluten) in water for 10 minutes, then gently squeeze out excess water. Remove and discard shiitake stems, then thinly slice mushrooms about ¼ inch thick. Tie mitsuba stems into knots and slice kamaboko into thin ⅛ inch slices.
- Assemble Soup: Divide fu and mitsuba evenly into serving bowls. Return 3⅓ cups dashi to the pot, season with 2 tsp usukuchi soy sauce and ½ tsp kosher salt. Add kamaboko slices and shiitake mushrooms; heat gently until warm.
- Serve: Pour the hot broth with ingredients into the bowls over the fu and mitsuba. Serve immediately and enjoy the delicate flavors of this classic Japanese clear soup.
Notes
- Dashi requires a minimum steep time of 30 minutes but benefits from longer steeping for richer flavor.
- Fu (wheat gluten) and kamaboko (fish cake) are optional ingredients to accommodate dietary needs.
- Ingredients such as dense root vegetables or leafy greens should be pre-cooked separately before adding to the clear soup.
- Spent kombu and katsuobushi can be repurposed to make simmered kombu (kombu tsukudani) or other dishes.
- Store soup in the refrigerator for 2–3 days; add mitsuba and fu just before serving to retain texture and flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (about 240 ml)
- Calories: 60
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: 1g
- Saturated Fat: 0.2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 10mg
Keywords: Japanese clear soup, Osumashi, dashi, kamaboko, fu, shiitake mushrooms, mitsuba, light soup, umami broth
Find it online: https://servedbynora.com/japanese-clear-soup-osumashi-recipe/
