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–+ servings

Wakame Soup (Yakiniku Restaurant Style)

Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients 
 

Instructions 

  • Pour ½ tsp toasted sesame oil into a cold pan and add 1 clove grated garlic and ¼ tsp grated ginger root. Heat on low to bloom the aromatics, when it starts to sizzle, mix for 30-45 seconds.
    Aromatics in toasted sesame oil in a pan on the stove
  • Add 500 ml water, and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and add 1 tsp sake, ½ tbsp Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder, ¼ tsp dashi granules, ⅛ tsp oyster sauce and ¼ tsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu). Mix until the granules have dissolved.
    simmering wakame soup broth with condiments in a pan on the stove top
  • Add 3 g dried wakame seaweed and mix until it expands. Add 30 g Japanese leek (naganegi) and simmer for about 30 seconds, then turn off the heat.
    wakame soup with sliced Japanese leek in a pot on the stove top
  • Taste test, if it's too salty you can dilute it with water. If it's too bland, season with a pinch of salt. Then drizzle with 1 tsp toasted sesame oil.
    adding sesame oil to finished wakame soup in a pot on the stove top
  • Divide into serving bowls and top with some toasted white sesame seeds and ground white pepper to taste. Enjoy!
    Wakame soup with Japanese leek in an off-white ceramic bowl, with a hand holding ground white pepper above it

Notes

Chicken bouillon powder varies by brand. My brand is 1 tsp per 200 ml, so if yours is more concentrated (e.g., 1 tsp per 300 ml), use less to avoid oversalting.
Use a narrow pot (16-18cm/6-7 inches) rather than a wide one as we only use 500ml of liquid.
Measure dried wakame carefully (3g per 500ml). It expands 10x its dry volume, so what looks sparse becomes abundant.
Bouillon and dashi brands vary dramatically in saltiness. Always taste-test before serving.
For a spicy variation, swap the finishing sesame oil for chili oil (rayu). For brightness, add a few drops of rice vinegar to your bowl. For Korean-inspired depth, stir in a spoonful of kimchi with its juice.
Serving ideas: Yakiniku Don, Cold Tofu (Hiyayakko), Japanese Grilled Salmon, Pork Shogayaki (Ginger Pork)