Fish, pumpkin and cornichon soup

A colorful fish soup that makes a whole meal. Freely inspired by Slavic gherkin soups. It’s quick and easy.

Suguna kabocha pumpkin. I boiled the pieces in water till soft.

The head of tai (sea bream). Fish head is cheap, flavorful and there is plenty to eat. It’s ideal for a soup.

Cornichons à l’estragon.
Gherkins with tarragon. I made when ? Last May :

I thinly sliced them.

Put the fish in the pot, add half of the gherkins, the kabocha and cooking broth. Simmer 20 minutes.

Near the end, take out 1/2 cup of broth, add cream, salt, pepper, fresh thyme, the rest of pickles. On the table, mix into the soup, put back the lid and wait a few minutes.

Serve with croutons.

Open and enjoy while it’s hot.

Spring eggs floating on a green pond

Ultra-fresh Spring eggs are a delicacy. They are perfect to make poached eggs. This is a light first dish, ideal to start a big Easter feast.

They are placed on a simple soup of romaine salad. Seasoned with spices.

na-no-hana

My green fix, with nanohana (rape blossoms.

With some râpées (grated potatoes, with cut of nanohana and parsley).

The soup is made of the stalks and bigger leaves of the nanohana, juiced. And some fresh sakekasu (sake lees). The soup is cooked a few minutes till it thickens.

That’s a new one. It’s less sweet than the Autumn one, but still sweet and mellow. That balances the bitterness of the vegetable.

Steamed blossoms to complete. That’s a a very green lunch.

Japanese garden creamy Winter soup

When it’s so cold inside, you need a soup every day. Yes, I wrote inside that’s not a typo, as outside the weather is mild, it’s Winter, but not freezing. In my place without heating, the day is just OK, but at night it’s a little chilly. So I put on a big sweater, my half-gloves and I get a bowl of good soup to warm me up…

It’s very quick to throw stuff in. Then, just let simmer a while. Today’s soup is a miso-minestrone. See the 3 steps at the end, but first let’s look at what is in it :

It’s full of season produce. Can you recognize them ?

Do you know that animal ? His name is taro. Well, he is a potato… and it’s usually called…

…satoimo here.

That’s the season of black soy bean kuromame. I had them boiled.

Some greens.

Shungiku, chrysanthemum leaves.

Kezuribushi, bonito fish flakes.

Koji-miso. There exist very different types of miso. The color depends on ingredients. The more rice, the whiter, the more soy, the darker. This one is light colored miso with a high content of fermented rice (komekoji), and it’s rough textured. Its taste is sweet and mild.

Step one : in some water, put to simmer some dry daikon radish skins (I keep them to make broth), a few peeled satoimo taros, a ts of pasted garlic, 2 tbs of tomato paste, a dry chili and a cup of boiled black beans with their broth. Let 20 minutes.
Step two : I made a 1/2 cup of neri-goma (tahini, white sesame paste), mixed it with a tbs of miso, a ts of fish flakes. I’ve diluted that in the soup and let 2 minutes on low heat.
Step 3 : pour the soup on shungiku greens, top with more fish flakes.
If you want it vegan, just don’t add the fish flakes, replace the topping with aonori seaweed flakes.

Carrot soup chicken curry

Another little meal thrown in 5 minutes : I simmered together a broth made of grated carrot, onion and water, chicken legs, curry spices, sweet corn. Later added a green sweet pepper.Served with steamed spinach.