Recipe
"5-Minute Prep!" Easy Twist on Hiyajiru (Chilled Miso Soup) to Beat the Summer Heat
Ingredients
- 1can sardines in miso sauce (including canning liquid)
- 2tbsp and 1 tsp miso paste
- 1tsp low-sodium Hondashi (dashi powder)
- 1cucumber
- 100gfirm tofu
- 10gground toasted sesame seeds
- 250mlwater
- 1pinch sugar (for drawing moisture from cucumber)
- Apinch of salt (for drawing moisture from cucumber)
- Sesameoil, to taste (for finishing)
- 1myoga ginger (Japanese ginger bud, optional garnish)
- Shisoleaves, to taste (optional garnish)
About "Canned Sardine Hiyajiru (Chilled Miso Soup)"
This refreshing chilled miso soup (hiyajiru) recipe uses canned sardines in miso sauce to help beat the summer heat. Canned sardines are more budget-friendly and have less of a strong fishy odor than canned mackerel. The sardines and their canning liquid are combined with miso, ground sesame seeds, and dashi powder to create a savory, umami-rich broth. Cucumbers are drawn out with sugar and salt to keep them crunchy, while hand-torn tofu absorbs the broth beautifully. After chilling in the fridge for 15 minutes to let the flavors meld, pour it over hot rice and top with sesame oil and fresh herbs.
Tips for Making "Canned Sardine Hiyajiru (Chilled Miso Soup)"
-
Prep
- Wrap the firm tofu in paper towels and squeeze firmly with your hands to drain. Skipping this step will dilute the hiyajiru and make the flavor bland.
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Prep
- Slice the cucumber straight rather than diagonally into thin rounds. Add 1 pinch of sugar (using three fingers) and a pinch of salt (using two fingers), massage, and let drain for 5 minutes. Adding sugar alongside salt increases osmotic pressure, drawing out moisture while keeping it crunchy without becoming overly salty.
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Seasoning
- Pour all the liquid from the canned sardines in miso sauce into a bowl. Use a fork to dissolve the miso paste into this liquid until smooth before adding the ground sesame seeds, Hondashi, and water.
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Ingredients
- Canned sardines are highly recommended over canned mackerel. Sardines are abundant and budget-friendly (about a third of the price of mackerel), and have less fishy odor, making them perfect for a chilled, uncooked soup.
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Prep
- Lightly flake the sardine meat with a fork before adding. Leaving some chunky pieces instead of mashing them completely adds a satisfying texture.
-
Prep
- Squeeze the salted cucumber in small, single-handful batches rather than all at once to thoroughly drain the moisture to the core.
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Prep
- Tear the tofu into the bowl by hand. This creates rough, uneven surfaces that increase the surface area, allowing the broth to cling to it better.
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Finishing
- Once the ingredients and broth are combined, chill in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. This allows the miso flavor to penetrate the cucumber and tofu, greatly enhancing the taste.
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Garnish
- Make 3 horizontal slits in the myoga ginger before julienning so the strips separate beautifully. Cut shiso leaves in half lengthwise before slicing finely to prevent them from sticking to the roof of your mouth.
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Garnish
- Rinse the cut garnishes quickly in water and drain in a sieve. This removes any harshness or bitterness, resulting in a cleaner flavor for the hiyajiru.
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Finishing
- Pour the chilled soup over warm rice, drizzle with a little sesame oil, and top with the garnishes. A 1:1 blend of white and brown rice reduces stickiness, making it easy to eat smoothly.
Ingredients for "Canned Sardine Hiyajiru (Chilled Miso Soup)"
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- 1can sardines in miso sauce (including canning liquid)
- 2tbsp and 1 tsp miso paste
- 1tsp low-sodium Hondashi (dashi powder)
- 1cucumber
- 100gfirm tofu
- 10gground toasted sesame seeds
- 250mlwater
- 1pinch sugar (for drawing moisture from cucumber)
- Apinch of salt (for drawing moisture from cucumber)
- Sesameoil, to taste (for finishing)
- 1myoga ginger (Japanese ginger bud, optional garnish)
- Shisoleaves, to taste (optional garnish)
How to Make "Canned Sardine Hiyajiru (Chilled Miso Soup)"
- 1
Remove 100g of firm tofu from its package, wrap it in paper towels, and squeeze gently with your hands to drain the excess moisture.
- 2
Trim the stem end of 1 cucumber and slice it thinly and straight (not diagonally) using a mandoline slicer or knife.
- 3
Add 1 pinch of sugar (using three fingers) and a pinch of salt (using two fingers) to the sliced cucumber, massage well, and let sit for about 5 minutes to draw out moisture.
- 4
Pour all the liquid from the canned sardines in miso sauce into a bowl, add 2 tbsp and 1 tsp of miso paste, and whisk thoroughly with a fork until smooth and free of lumps.
- 5
Add 10g of ground sesame seeds, 1 tsp of low-sodium Hondashi, and 250ml of water, then mix well to complete the broth base.
- 6
Lightly flake the sardine meat with a fork (leaving some chunks rather than mashing it completely) and add it to the broth.
- 7
Squeeze the moisture out of the cucumber in small handfuls with your hands, then add them to the bowl.
- 8
Tear the drained firm tofu into bite-sized pieces by hand and add them to the bowl.
- 9
Gently stir everything together and chill in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to let the flavors meld.
- 10
While chilling, prepare the garnishes. Make 3 horizontal slits into the myoga ginger, then slice it into fine strips. Remove the stems from the shiso leaves, cut them in half lengthwise, and slice them into fine strips. Rinse the cut garnishes quickly in water and drain in a sieve.
- 11
Scoop warm rice (ideally a 1:1 blend of white and brown rice) into a bowl, and pour a generous amount of the ice-cold hiyajiru over it.
- 12
Drizzle with a little sesame oil, top with the drained garnishes (myoga and shiso), and serve.
Food Science
Combining the inosinate found in the canned sardines and Hondashi with the glutamate in the miso paste creates an umami synergy, resulting in a deep, rich flavor. Additionally, careful moisture control—drawing water out of the cucumber with salt and sugar, and thoroughly draining the tofu—prevents the hiyajiru from becoming diluted, while highlighting the crisp, crunchy texture of the cucumber.
Detailed Commentary on "Canned Sardine Hiyajiru (Chilled Miso Soup)"
* Content organized by topics from the video.
Introducing "Lazy Hiyajiru" & Prepping Tofu
The video kicks off with a cheerful greeting: "Good morning, I'm Sakura!" Today, she introduces "Lazy Hiyajiru," a dish perfect for the hot summer. True to its name, this recipe cuts corners to the absolute limit while still delivering maximum flavor. First, we start by prepping one of the main ingredients: tofu. We use 100g of firm tofu. Simply remove it from the package, wrap it in paper towels, and squeeze it firmly with your hands to drain the water. There is no need for heavy weights or tedious steps, but doing this quick drain at the very beginning is crucial. If you don't remove the excess moisture from the tofu, it will dilute the soup over time, causing the flavor to become bland. This simple step is the key to keeping it delicious until the very last bite.
The Secret to Crunchy Cucumber: Salt & Sugar
Next up is prepping one cucumber. After removing the stem using the tip of a mandoline slicer, slice it straight down to create neat, thin rounds. Slicing straight rather than diagonally keeps the pieces from getting too large. Once sliced, add 1 pinch of sugar (measured with three fingers) and a pinch of salt (measured with two fingers), massage them in thoroughly, and let it sit for about 5 minutes to draw out the moisture. Adding sugar alongside salt is a professional secret. Sugar exerts osmotic pressure just like salt, helping to draw out excess water easily. If you use only salt, the cucumber can end up tasting overly salty. By combining it with sugar, you can thoroughly drain the moisture without making it too salty, preserving the cucumber's fresh, crunchy texture.
Why Canned Sardines? Making the Umami Broth
Now, let's make the broth base for the hiyajiru. Pour only the liquid from the canned sardines in miso sauce—the star of this dish—into a bowl. While canned mackerel is commonly used for hiyajiru, Sakura highly recommends canned sardines. Sardines are currently abundant and budget-friendly, costing about a third of the price of canned mackerel. Additionally, they have far less of the strong fishy odor typical of blue-backed fish, making them perfect for a chilled soup eaten without reheating. Next, add 2 tbsp and 1 tsp of miso paste, though you may want to start with a bit less depending on the saltiness of your miso. Use a fork to thoroughly dissolve the miso into the sardine liquid until smooth. Then, add 10g of ground sesame seeds, 1 tsp of low-sodium Hondashi, and 250ml of water, and mix well. The Hondashi dissolves easily even in cold water, so there is no need for heating.
Adding Ingredients & Chilling in the Fridge
Once the broth is ready, lightly flake the reserved sardine meat with a fork and add it in. Avoid mashing the fish too finely; leaving some chunky pieces makes the dish much more satisfying to eat. Next, squeeze the moisture out of the salted cucumber and add it to the bowl. Squeezing it in small, single-handful batches rather than all at once is the secret to thoroughly draining it to the core. Then, tear the drained firm tofu by hand into the bowl. Tearing the tofu creates rough, uneven surfaces, increasing the surface area so that the flavorful broth clings to it beautifully in a short amount of time. Tearing it into bite-sized pieces is key. Finally, place the bowl in the refrigerator to chill for about 15 minutes. Getting it ice-cold allows the miso flavors to penetrate the cucumber and tofu, making it incredibly delicious.
Elevate the Dish: How to Cut the Garnishes
While the soup is chilling, prepare the fresh garnishes that elevate the flavor of the hiyajiru. First is one myoga ginger. If you julienne it normally, the base stays connected. However, making about three horizontal slits before slicing, or cutting it lengthwise into three pieces first, allows the strips to separate beautifully. For the shiso leaves, remove the stems, cut them in half lengthwise, and then slice them into fine strips. Shiso leaves can easily stick to the roof of your mouth if sliced whole, so cutting them in half lengthwise makes them much easier to eat. Place the cut garnishes in a bowl, rinse them quickly with water, and drain them in a sieve. Soaking them briefly crisps them up and removes any harshness or bitterness, making the overall flavor of the hiyajiru incredibly clean and refined.
Finishing with Blended Rice & Sesame Oil
Finally, it's time to assemble and taste! Sakura's favorite base is a 1:1 blend of white and brown rice. Mixing in brown rice reduces the stickiness of the grains, allowing you to enjoy the chilled soup smoothly. Scoop the warm rice into a bowl and pour a generous amount of the ice-cold hiyajiru over it. Drizzle a little sesame oil on top to bring out a wonderful, nutty aroma. Top with the drained garnishes, and it's ready to serve. One bite will have you saying, "So good!" It tastes incredibly authentic for a dish made in just 5 to 10 minutes, and thanks to the canned sardines, there is absolutely no fishy odor. The contrast between the cold soup and warm rice, the crunch of the cucumber, and the freshness of the herbs harmonize perfectly, making this the ultimate dish to beat the summer heat.
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食事処さくらの料理教室
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