Acorn squash soup with teriyaki tofu, udon, and curried apple
This recipe takes notes from squash soup and curry udon to produce an autumnal soup that balances fresh and umami flavors. The bright, crisp tartness of the apples combines with the bite and savor of the tofu and the mildly spiced dashi-based broth to create a fun, playful eating experience in which every bite is different.
Recipe under the cut!
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Serves 4.
Ingredients:
For the dashi:
3 cups cool water
8g (3" x 4" piece) kombu
For the tofu and teriyaki sauce (照り焼きのたれ):
14oz medium-firm tofu (木綿豆腐 / momen doufu)
1/3 cup potato starch (or substitute cornstarch)
Neutral oil for frying
2 Tbsp sake
2 Tbsp mirin
2 Tbsp Japanese soy sauce, such as Kikkoman's
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp vegetarian granulated sugar
For a low-alcohol version, substitute mirin with aji-mirin (mirin imitation), or half sugar and half dashi; substitute sake with half rice vinegar and half aji-mirin or sugar.
For the soup:
900g (1 large) acorn or kuri squash
1 small yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1-inch chunk (10g) ginger, chopped
1 Tbsp neutral oil
2 servings (400g) fresh uncooked udon (180g dry; 500g frozen)
1 small Granny Smith apple, cored and thickly sliced
2 tsp kare ko (Japanese curry powder), divided
Salt to taste
Sliced green onion and white sesame seeds, to garnish
Instructions:
For the kombu dashi (昆布だし):
1. Check kombu for mold and wipe off any visible dirt with a damp towel, leaving the white residue. Make a few slits on the edges of the kombu with a pair of kitchen scissors to aid the release of flavor. Decide which kind of dashi to make based on how much time you have.
2. To make cold-brew (水出し / mizudashi) dashi: Soak the kombu in 3 cups of cool water in a covered pot or large bottle in the refrigerator overnight. Remove the kombu and strain; the dashi is ready to use.
3. To make hot-brew dashi (煮出し / nidashi): Optionally, soak the kombu in 3 cups of cool water in a covered pot for 2 hours in a hot environment or up to 5 hours in a cold one. Uncover the pot, place it over medium heat, and allow the water to slowly come to a boil, occasionally skimming the scum from the top of the water with a skimmer or a spoon. Just as the water begins to simmer, remove the kombu and take the pot off heat (the dashi may become slimy and bitter if the kombu is boiled). Strain the dashi; it is ready to use.
Reserve kombu to brew again and make second dashi (二番だし / niban dashi), to simmer with vegetables to make a simmered dish (煮物 / nimono), or to make furikake. It can be sealed in a plastic bag and saved in the fridge for about a week, or in the freezer for several months.
1. Drain tofu, wrap it gently in a kitchen towel, and allow it to sit for about 10 minutes to release water (there is no need to press it).
2. Cut tofu into 1" (2.5cm) cubes and gently toss them in potato or cornstarch (potato starch will yield a crunchier result).
3. Heat about 1/2" (1 cm) of oil in a large pan. Fry tofu, flipping as necessary, until golden brown on all sides. Set aside. (Note that tofu will stick to the bottom just at first; it will release as the starch cooks.)
4. In a large pan (the same one you used to fry the tofu is fine, if you remove the oil), combine tofu, sake, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce has thickened to coat the tofu. Be careful not to allow the sugar to burn. Set aside.
For the soup:
1. Prepare the vegetables. Halve the squash lengthwise (through the root) and scoop out the seeds. Peel it with a vegetable peeler or paring knife and cut it into cubes. Peel and chop the onion, garlic, and ginger.
2. Heat oil on medium-high in a large pot until spluttering. Add onions and a pinch of salt and fry, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent. Add garlic and ginger and fry for another minute, until no longer raw-smelling.
3. Add 1/2 tsp curry powder and stir to combine. Add the cubed squash and sauté, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes.
4. Add dashi and another 1/2 tsp curry powder. Cover and raise heat to high to bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and cook for aboute 15 minutes, until squash is very tender.
5. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Blend contents of the pot with an immersion blender, or in a blender or food processor, until liquid and even in texture. Cover.
For the udon:
1. Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a rolling boil. Shake excess starch off of the noodles and add them to the pot.
2. Cook, stirring occasionally with chopsticks or a pasta spoon, until the noodles are cooked through and no longer taste raw. This will take 10-13 minutes for fresh or dried noodles, and 13-15 minutes for frozen. If your frozen noodles are parboiled, they will only need to be blanched for 30 seconds to a minute: be sure to read the package instructions.
The noodles should be slippery and neither hard in the center (if dried) or mushy on the outside, but firm and “koshi” (こし or コシ; “with body,” “al dente”).
3. Drain and rinse with cold water to halt cooking and rinse off excess starch. Set aside.
For the tofu:
1. Drain tofu, wrap it gently in a kitchen towel, and allow it to sit for about 10 minutes to release water (there is no need to press it).
2. Cut tofu into 1" (2.5cm) cubes and gently toss them in potato or cornstarch (potato starch will yield a crunchier result).
3. Heat about 1/2" (1 cm) of oil in a large pan. Fry tofu, flipping as necessary, until golden brown on all sides. Set aside. (Note that tofu will stick to the bottom just at first; it will release as the starch cooks.)
4. In a large pan (the same one you used to fry the tofu is fine, if you remove the oil), combine tofu, sake, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce has thickened to coat the tofu. Be careful not to allow the sugar to burn. Set aside.
For the apples:
1. Wash and cut apples into slices about 1/2" (1 cm) thick. Coat them in the remaining curry powder.
2. Heat margarine in a large pan on medium until melted and sizzling. Reduce heat to low and add apple slices in a single layer. Fry, flipping once, until slightly softened and browned on both sides. You still want a bit of bite to them!
To assemble:
1. Reheat the broth on the stovetop. Submerge the noodles in a pot of hot water for about 30 seconds to warm. Divide noodles into individual serving bowls and cover with broth, apples, tofu, sliced green onion, and sesame seeds.
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