From “Japanese Light” by Kimiko Barber. Makes about 4 servings.
Ingredients
VICHYSSOISE
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cups frozen or fresh peas
2 sprigs fresh mint
4 3/4 cup dashi broth
8 ounces soft silken tofu, drained and coarsely broken into pieces
Salt
MIZUNA PESTO
A handful of mizuna or arugula leaves, coarsley chopped
2 tablespoons pine nuts
Grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1 garlic clove
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 heaping teaspoon miso paste
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Heat the vegetable oil and butter in a saucepan over a moderate heat and cook the onion until soft. Add the peas, mint and dashi broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for the pesto in a food processor or blender with 1/2
teaspoon salt. Process until smooth. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Add the tofu to the soup and return to a boil. Take the saucepan off the heat, remove the mint leaves and reserve 1 tablespoon of peas. Working in batches if necessary, blend the soup in a food processor until smooth; adjust the seasoning with salt. If you are serving it warm, return the soup to the saucepan to re-heat. Add the reserved peas, drizzle with pesto and serve.
Wine ideas:
Play up the bright green flavors of this soup, with its sassy mizuna pesto, with a grassy sauvignon blanc or, better yet, a light, fresh grüner veltliner. Look for Gritsch, Loimer and Stadt Krems, all of which have terrific bottlings under $20.
– Tara Q. Thomas
