Cold Cucumber and Seaweed Soup
MAKES: 4 servings
TIME: 20 minutes
Japanese and Koreans make good use of both cucumbers and seaweed, and this is an example of how the two combine with their love of cold soups. Add a little shredded daikon or thinly sliced red radish along with the cucumber if you like; this is also good with about 11/2 cups cubed soft tofu. All in all, a lovely summer meal starter, simple but very flavorful.
2 cups Kombu Dashi, chilled
1/3 cup soy sauce, or to taste
2 tablespoons mirin or 1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
2 cucumbers, peeled and seeded (see Cucumbers)
3 ounces wakame seaweed, broken into bits and soaked in cold water until soft (see The Sea Green Lexicon)
1/4 cup dark sesame oil
2 scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Japanese Seven-Spice Mix or hot red pepper flakes to taste
01 Combine the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar in small mixing bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Slice the cucumbers lengthwise as thinly as possible; ideally they will look like long, thin noodles. (If you have the time, toss the sliced cucumber with a pinch of salt and put it in a colander to drain for 10 or 15 minutes, then rinse and squeeze dry.)
02 Divide the softened seaweed among 4 serving bowls. Nestle the cucumbers (if you want to get fancy, twist them into little “nests”) into the seaweed. Top each portion with a tablespoon of sesame oil, then scatter with the scallions, sesame seeds, and spice mix; pour the soup base over the cucumber noodles at the table.
