Clear Soup with Wheat Gluten and Wakame Seaweed

Today’s recipe, Clear Soup with Wheat Gluten and Wakame Seaweed, is all about the unique ingredient called ‘fu’ (麩, wheat gluten) or ‘ofu’ (お麩) to be more polite. Putting flower-shaped colourful fu pieces and wakame seaweed in a clear soup turns the simple soup into a visually attractive dish.

Clear Soup with Wheat Gluten and Wakame Seaweed has a lengthy name when translated into English from the Japanese name ‘Ofu to Wakame no Osunashi’ (お麩とワカメのおすまし). Although I could have used the Japanese name in the post title, I thought many people would not know what ‘fu‘ is.

About Fu

Fu is one form of wheat gluten – the main protein of wheat. Vegetarians may be familiar with the food, seitan, as a meat substitute. Seitan and fu are the same thing as a matter of fact, but they are processed in different ways and the appearance and taste is different.

From left to right: ring-shaped yakifu, flower-shaped yakifu, yakifu balls.

Wheat gluten is made by making dough from wheat flour and salt, then squeezing the starch out of the dough in water until the water becomes clear. The remaining substance is gluten. It came to Japan from China, as many foods did, and existed in the 14^th century.

In Japan, ‘fu’ or ‘ofu’ refers to either namafu (生麩) or yakifu (焼き麩).

Namafu

Gluten is mixed with rice flour, shaped, then steamed. When mixing rice flour in, colouring substances or finely chopped vegetables may be added. It has a sticky texture and a very bland flavour.

Left: Namafu dengaku, right: Colourful namafu simmered in a broth.

Namafu is often grilled and served as Dengaku with sweet miso topping. Namafu is also added in simmered dishes and clear soups. It absorbs the flavour of the broth very well.

Yakifu

Gluten is mixed with flour, shaped into sticks, then steam baked. The baked sticks are cut into discs. Some yakifu are made into ring shapes, flower shapes, or small balls. Colours are sometimes added to it. The texture of yakifu is like dried sliced bread, but it is much lighter. My flower-shaped yakifu was less than 1g/0.04oz per piece, the ring-shaped yakifu in the photo below was 0.5g/0.02oz.

From left to right: ring-shaped yakifu, flower-shaped yakifu, yakifu balls.

You need to rehydrate yakifu and squeeze the water out before using it. Yakifu is also used in soups and simmered dishes. Some households add yakifu to Sukiyaki.

Seitan (セイタン)

The word ‘seitan’ as a meat alternative originated in Japan. A Japanese advocate of the macrobiotic diet, George Osawa named the product in the mid 20^th century. When he introduced fu in overseas, he called it ‘right protein’. The words ‘right’ and ‘protein’ are written as 正 and 蛋. By combining them together, it became 正蛋 which is pronounced as ‘seitan’.

Seitan is known in overseas countries, but in Japan, it is not a familiar name. I certainly had never used it before. I guess I had no need for meat alternatives.

Seitan is sold in various forms and shapes with flavours. Some are deep-fried and simmered in a sweet soy broth, like the photo below. It is like a slightly chewy, simmered aburaage.

What’s in My Clear Soup with Wheat Gluten and Wakame Seaweed

• Yakifu
• Wakame seaweed, cut into bite size pieces if it comes uncut
• Okra, blanched, then thinly sliced

Broth

• Dashi stock
• Light soy sauce
• Cooking sake
• Salt

I used flower-shaped yakifu today, but you can use other types of yakifu. The photo below is the soup made with yakifu balls.

If you are a vegetarian/vegan, use konbu dashi or shiitake dashi.

Clear soups are often garnished with mitsuba to add green colour to clear soups. I could not find it, so I added sliced okra. Mizuna leaves or blanched snow peas are also good alternatives.

Some recipes add chopped green onions, but I feel that the flavour of the green onion is too strong for the delicate flavour of the broth.

How to make Clear Soup with Wheat Gluten and Wakame Seaweed

It is such a simple soup to make.

1. Rehydrate yakifu.
2. Put all the Broth ingredients in a saucepan and bring it to a boil
3. Place yakifu and wakame seaweed pieces in a soup bowl.
4. Add the broth to the bowl, then scatter the okra slices over.

Instead of clear soup, you can add yakifu to your miso soup too.

Yumiko

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Clear Soup with Wheat Gluten and Wakame Seaweed

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

5 mins

Rehydrate yakifu

5 mins

Total Time

15 mins

 

Clear Soup with Wheat Gluten and Wakame Seaweed is all about the unique ingredient called ‘fu’ (麩, wheat gluten) or ‘ofu’ (お麩) to be more polite. Putting flower-shaped colourful fu pieces and wakame seaweed in a clear soup turn a simple soup into a visually attractive dish.

If you are a vegetarian/vegan, use konbu dashi or shiitake dashi.

Don't forget to see the section 'MEAL IDEAS' below the recipe card! It gives you a list of dishes that I have already posted and this recipe that can make up a complete meal. I hope it is of help to you.

Recipe Type: Soup

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: Clear soup recipe, seitan, wheat gluten

Serves: 2

Author: Yumiko

Ingredients (tbsp=15ml, cup=250ml)

• 10 pieces flower-shaped yakifu (note 1)
• 10g/0.6oz wakame seaweed (fresh or rehydrated)
• 1 okra (blanched and thinly sliced, note 2)

Broth

• 400ml/13.5fl oz dashi stock
• ¼ tsp cooking sake
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp light soy sauce

Instructions

1. Put yakifu pieces in a small bowl filled with water and leave it for about 5 minutes until the yakifu pieces are completely rehydrated (i.e., the centre of the yakifu is soft).

2. Squeeze the water out of the yakifu.

3. If your wakame seaweed pieces are long, cut them into bite size pieces.

4. Put the Broth ingredients in a saucepan and bring it to a boil.

5. Place yakifu and wakame seaweed in two serving bowls.

6. Pour the broth over them and scatter the okra pieces.

7. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

1. Please refer to the section ABOUT FU in the post for details with photos. I used flower-shaped yakifu but you can use other types.

You can buy yakifu at Japanese grocery stores. You can also order it online, but unfortunately depending on the country you live in, the delivery cost could be much more than the cost of a yakifu pack.

2. Since you only need one okra, it is probably easier to microwave it instead of boiling water to blanch it. Wrap okra in cling wrap and microwave it for 30 seconds or so.

Mitsuba is usually added to clear soup to add green colour, but I used sliced okra as an alternative. Other alternatives include mizuna leaves and blanched snow peas.

3. Nutrition per serving.

serving: 214g calories: 55kcal fat: 1.8g (3%) saturated fat: 0.4g (2%) trans fat: 0g polyunsaturated fat: 0.4g monounsaturated fat: 0.5g cholesterol: 2mg (1%) sodium: 670mg (28%) carbohydrates: 3.6g (1%) dietary fibre: 0.3g (1%) sugar: 0.1g protein: 6.2g vitamin a: 0% calcium: 19mg (1%) iron: 0.4mg (1%) potassium: 309mg (9%)