Name: Chilled Water Eggplant Soup Salad
Ingredients: 2 water eggplants (mizunasu); 1/2 cucumber; 2 myoga ginger buds; 1/3 young ginger; Onion, to taste; 5g tarragon; 5g basil; Sudachi, to taste; Extra virgin olive oil, to taste; 500g clam dashi (for amino acid soup); 200g fruit tomatoes (for amino acid soup); 15g kombu (for amino acid soup); 1 sprig basil (for amino acid soup)

About "Chilled Water Eggplant Soup Salad"

In this video, Chef Daisuke Yamane of the renowned Italian restaurant "Ponte Vecchio" in Osaka introduces a chilled soup salad featuring water eggplant (mizunasu) called "Water Eggplant Amino Acid Soup." This appetizer combines a rich, umami-packed amino acid soup made from clam dashi, fruit tomatoes, kombu, and basil with water eggplant, cucumber, myoga ginger, and young ginger. It features the crisp texture of water eggplant, reminiscent of Japanese pickles, combined with the juiciness of a chilled soup. Infused with Italian elements like tarragon, sudachi, and extra virgin olive oil, this dish beautifully fuses Japanese ingredients with Italian cuisine. It is presented as a professional summer appetizer recipe that you can easily recreate at home.

Tips for Making "Chilled Water Eggplant Soup Salad"

下準備
水茄子は皮を縞状にむき（ゼブラ剥き）、食べやすい大きさにカットしたあと塩をふって軽く揉み、余分な水分とアクを抜く。
下準備
胡瓜は薄切り、茗荷は千切り、新生姜は極薄切りにして、それぞれ水にさらしてシャキッとした食感を保つ。
スープ作り
アサリ出汁はアサリを酒蒸しにして取った出汁を使用。うま味（アミノ酸）が豊富で、スープのベースになる。
スープ作り
フルーツトマトはミキサーにかけてピュレ状にし、昆布・バジル枝とともにアサリ出汁に加え、弱火で温度をかけすぎないよう抽出してうま味を引き出す。
スープ作り
スープはしっかり冷やしてから使用する。温かいままだと野菜の食感が損なわれるため、氷水で急冷するのが望ましい。
味付け
仕上げに酢橘を絞ることで酸味と柑橘の香りをプラスし、エクストラバージンオリーブオイルをたっぷり回しかけてコクと風味を加える。
盛り付け
野菜を器に盛り付けてから冷製スープを注ぎ、タラゴン・バジルの葉を散らして香りと彩りを演出する。
食材選び
水茄子は大阪・泉州産が最適。皮が薄く水分が多いため、生食に向いており漬物のような感覚で楽しめる。
食材選び
フルーツトマトを使うことで、スープに甘みと酸味のバランスが生まれ、うま味も強くなる。

Ingredients for "Chilled Water Eggplant Soup Salad"

13 items

* Tap ingredient names to find on Amazon

2water eggplants (mizunasu)
1/2cucumber
2myoga ginger buds
1/3young ginger
Onion,to taste
5gtarragon
5gbasil
Sudachi,to taste
Extravirgin olive oil, to taste
500gclam dashi (for amino acid soup)
200gfruit tomatoes (for amino acid soup)
15gkombu (for amino acid soup)
1sprig basil (for amino acid soup)

How to Make "Chilled Water Eggplant Soup Salad"

01
[Make the amino acid soup] Steam clams with sake to extract 500g of clam dashi.
02
Blend 200g of fruit tomatoes into a smooth puree.
03
Combine the clam dashi, tomato puree, 15g of kombu, and 1 sprig of basil in a pot. Extract the umami over low heat without letting it boil (kombu releases its flavor best at 60–70°C, so do not boil).
04
Strain the soup to remove the basil and kombu, then quickly chill it over an ice bath.
05
[Prep the vegetables] Peel the water eggplants in stripes (zebra pattern) and cut into bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle with salt, massage gently, and let sit for about 5 minutes to draw out bitterness and excess moisture, then rinse quickly with water.
06
Thinly slice the cucumber, sprinkle with salt, and squeeze out excess moisture.
07
Julienne the myoga ginger and thinly slice the young ginger, then soak them in water to make them crisp.
08
Thinly slice the onion and soak in water to remove the sharpness.
09
[Finish and plate] Arrange the water eggplant, cucumber, myoga ginger, young ginger, and onion beautifully in a bowl.
10
Pour the chilled amino acid soup into the bowl.
11
Squeeze sudachi juice over it and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
12
Garnish with tarragon and basil leaves to complete.

Detailed Commentary on "Chilled Water Eggplant Soup Salad"

* Content organized by topics from the video.

What is Amino Acid Soup?

This soup is a powerhouse of umami, combining glutamic acid from the kombu and tomatoes with succinic acid from the clams. Heating it gently at 60–70°C extracts the maximum flavor without any bitterness.

Prepping the Water Eggplant

Water eggplant (mizunasu) is famous for its high water content and sweet, delicate flavor. Peeling it in a zebra pattern allows it to absorb the soup while maintaining a pleasant crunch. Salting it briefly removes any harshness.

An Italian-Japanese Fusion

While the base uses traditional Japanese ingredients like mizunasu, myoga, and kombu, the addition of tarragon, basil, and extra virgin olive oil elevates the dish into a refreshing Italian-style summer appetizer.

Chilled Water Eggplant Soup Salad | Italian-Style Appetizer