5 from 12 votes
Japanese Clam Soup
Japanese Clam Soup features a delicate dashi broth made from kombu seaweed and bonito flakes, combined with a sesame oil-sautéed garlic base, sake, and soy sauce. Small clams simmer with sea vegetables like sea beans or wakame and optional chives, creating a flavorful, umami-rich soup.
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings:
4
servings
Calories:
95 kcal
Course:
Appetizer, Soup, Lunch
Cuisine:
Japanese
Ingredients
DASHI BROTH
- 1 piece kombu roughly 3x3 inches square, dried, sea kelp
- 20 grams bonito flakes about 3 very loose cups
SOUP
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/3 cup sake
- 4 teaspoons soy sauce
- 24 to 36 clam small, hard-shelled
- 1/3 pound sea bean See note below if using seaweed, or sea rocket, orache or spinach
- 1/4 cup chive optional, minced
Instructions
DASHI
- Put the dried kombu in a pot with 6 cups of water. Turn the heat to medium-low and let the water warm slowly. Eventually you will see small bubbles form at the edges of the kombu. When you see this, remove the seaweed.
- Turn the heat to high and bring the broth to a boil. Drop in the bonito flakes and stir to combine. Turn off the heat, cover the pot and let this steep for 2 to 3 minutes, no more.
- Strain the broth into a container and reserve. (See notes below if you want to make a secondary dashi with the leftover kombu and fish flakes.)
Cup of Yum
SOUP
- In a medium pot, heat the sesame oil over medium-high heat. Cook the minced garlic for a minute, maybe two, but don't let it brown. As soon as it starts to look tan, add the sake and soy sauce. As soon as this comes to a boil, add the reserved dashi. Bring this to a gentle simmer.
- Add the green thing -- wakame, sea vegetable or spinach -- and the clams. Bring the pot back to a strong simmer, then cover the pot. Let this cook undisturbed 2 minutes, then check for open clams. Pick each one out as they open. Keep cooking for up to 6 minutes (certain species, like Western Littlenecks, need more time to cook than do Manila or topneck clams), picking out each clam as it opens. Any unopened after that time, discard.
- To finish, return all the clams to the broth, drop the heat to low, and add the chives. Serve at once.
Notes
- Alternative seafood options include oysters, scallops, shrimp, or crabmeat for different variations.
- If using dried wakame seaweed, rehydrate in cool water and chop roughly before adding.
- Dashi broth can be kept in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- A second batch of dashi can be made by simmering the leftover kombu and bonito flakes to reduce waste and extract more flavor.
- If sake is unavailable, substitute with a dry white wine.
Nutrition Information
Calories
95kcal
(5%)
Carbohydrates
2g
(1%)
Protein
6g
(12%)
Fat
4g
(6%)
Saturated Fat
1g
(5%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
1g
(6%)
Monounsaturated Fat
1g
(5%)
Trans Fat
0.003g
(0%)
Cholesterol
7mg
(2%)
Sodium
1151mg
(48%)
Potassium
78mg
(2%)
Fiber
0.5g
(2%)
Sugar
0.3g
(1%)
Vitamin A
147IU
(3%)
Vitamin C
2mg
(2%)
Calcium
12mg
(1%)
Iron
0.4mg
(2%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 95
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 95kcal | 5% |
| Carbohydrates | 2g | 1% |
| Protein | 6g | 12% |
| Fat | 4g | 6% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Trans Fat | 0.003g | 0% |
| Cholesterol | 7mg | 2% |
| Sodium | 1151mg | 48% |
| Potassium | 78mg | 2% |
| Fiber | 0.5g | 2% |
| Sugar | 0.3g | 1% |
| Vitamin A | 147IU | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 2mg | 2% |
| Calcium | 12mg | 1% |
| Iron | 0.4mg | 2% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.