Ingredients:

  • 4 cups (950 ml) Low-Sodium Chicken Stock or Vegetable Stock (or prepared Dashi)
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) Low-Sodium Soy Sauce (Tamari for gluten-free option)
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) Sake (Cooking wine)
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) Mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
  • 1 small piece (5g) Fresh Ginger, peeled and sliced thinly
  • 2 cloves Garlic, smashed
  • ½ teaspoon White Pepper
  • 10 ounces (300 g) Skinless Salmon Fillet, cut into 4 equal chunks
  • 8 ounces (225 g) Medium-Firm Tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 4 ounces (115 g) Shiitake Mushrooms, stems removed
  • 4 large leaves Napa Cabbage, roughly chopped
  • 1 large Carrot, sliced thinly on the bias
  • 1 cup (240 ml) Spinach or Watercress
  • 2 Spring Onions (Scallions), sliced finely for garnish

Instructions:

  1. Prepare all vegetables (carrots, cabbage, mushrooms) by slicing or chopping. Cut the salmon and tofu into portion-sized chunks. In a deep pot, combine the Dashi Broth ingredients: stock, soy sauce, sake, mirin, ginger, garlic, and white pepper.
  2. Bring the broth mixture to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat. Immediately reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 5 minutes to allow the ginger and garlic flavors to infuse deeply into the broth.
  3. Layer the hardest vegetables first: Add the Napa cabbage and sliced carrots into the simmering broth. Place the mushrooms evenly over the vegetables.
  4. Carefully arrange the salmon chunks and tofu cubes on top of the vegetables. They should be mostly submerged. Cover the pot and allow the ingredients to steam-simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. The broth must remain at a low, gentle simmer—never a full boil.
  5. After 8 minutes, gently open the pot and stir in the fresh spinach or watercress. Recover and cook for 1-2 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Check for doneness: The salmon should flake easily when tested.
  6. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning if necessary. Ladle the cooked ingredients and a generous amount of broth into serving bowls. Garnish with finely sliced spring onions and serve immediately, optionally with a side of Ponzu Dipping Sauce.