Shiso Broccoli Soup
There is a large Asian grocery store in Minneapolis, called “United Noodles”. I probably go there once in three months or so. Once inside the store I first head toward the Japanese section to buy food specifically imported from Japan, such as soba/ramen noodles, seaweed, wasabi, pickled ginger, red bean cakes… And then I start browsing, moving from the Japanese section to the Korean section to the Chinese section, to the Southeast Asian section, and to the Indian section… It’s quite some experience, and if you don’t know what you are looking for, shopping in a store like this can be overwhelming.
But if you ever go to an Asian grocery store, I would like to recommend checking out their produce section before you leave. Just in general, you can find so many interesting vegetables at many Asian grocery stores. One thing I would like to recommend looking for is “shiso” (in Japanese or “perilla” in English). It’s difficult to describe its flavor, but I could probably say this is somewhat similar to basil. Shiso goes well with so many different ingredients, from meat, to seafood, to tomatoes… It’s so versatile just like the Italian basil. I always wonder why this herb has not gained the popularity it deserves outside Japan. It’s distinct flavor is unique yet most people from whichever culture they are from seem to find it very pleasant.
The color of leaves can be different from one kind to another. The green colored one is called “ao-shiso” and the red one is called “aka-shiso” in Japan, and they are both very popular herbs. The kind United Noodles carries is yet another kind. It’s green on the front side and red on the back. Based on my quick research this kind is called “hojisho”. There are some differences in flavors among these, but the differences are not huge. Please do NOT be confused, however, with the Korean sesame perilla, which has a totally different flavor, although it looks very similar to the Japanese shiso.
This creamy shiso broccoli soup is absolutely delicious!! The broccoli and the shiso complement each other so well. I would suggest using either the “ao-shiso” or the “hojisho” for this particular dish. This soup will be an easy and great way to try and enjoy your shiso for the first time! And if you have a hard time finding shiso, I’m pretty sure using basil instead of shiso will work well with this soup, too.
canola oil
2 cloves garlic
1 onion, chopped
3 heads broccoli (including stalks, cut into small pieces and cooked through)
1/2 cup whole cashew nuts
8~10 shiso leaves
water
1 cube vegetable soup base
1 tablespoon sugar
salt
pepper
1. Cook garlic and onion in oil.
2. Add broccoli and cook for a few minutes.
3. Add nuts and shiso leaves. Add water to cover all the ingredients. Add the vegetables soup base.
4. Turn the heat to boil. Then turn down to low heat.
5. Puree the whole thing in a blender until very smooth and creamy (I use my Vitamix).
6. Add sugar, salt, and pepper.
Is this plant based?: Yes 100%!
青紫蘇ブロッコリースープ
数年前までは、春になると、そこら中のファーマーズマーケットを巡って、青紫蘇を探したものです。
数回ラッキーで、見つけたことはあるものの、ほとんどは毎年青紫蘇ナシで過ごしたもの。。。
最近は、お隣の街のミネアポリス市内にあるアジア食料品店に行けば、手に入ることが分かって、
焦らなくってよくなりました（笑）。
で、先日、このアジア食料品店に行く機会があったので、早速一束購入～。
今年初のシソです。
何に使おうか、迷ったのですが、まずは、このスープ。
ブロッコリーのスープに、たっぷりとシソを入れて、クリーミーに仕上げました。
コレ、超美味しい～！！
どうしてもっと早く作らなかったのか、と思うぐらい。
ちなみに、バイタミックス（Vitamix)というブレンダーを使うと、本当にクリーミーな仕上がりになります。
乳製品は一切入らない代わりに、カシューナッツが少し入っています。
アメリカ中西部での私たちの普段着二人暮らしの様子を、もう一つのブログAfter Hoursにて綴っています。
↓ボタン押していただけるとランキングが上がって励みになります。Thank you!!
