Moon Viewing Soup

At harvest time rice dumplings are a must. There are many ways to eat them, both sweet and savory. One of my favorite ways is in a simple vegetable soup full of seasonal root vegetables.

Instructions:

For dumplings:

1 cup rice flour
½ cup water

For soup:  

7-8 peeled taro
¼ daikon, with skin peeled, cut into medium-thickness quarters
1 carrot, with skin peeled, cut into medium-sized coins
3 fresh shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and medium sliced
½ leek, chopped or sliced thin
3 ½ tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons mirin
1 teaspoon konbu dashi

Instructions:

1.       In a medium sized pot, add the taro, daikon, carrot, and shiitake with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a medium simmer. Skim foam off the top, should it appear.

2.       Meanwhile, make the dumplings. Combine rice flour and water and mix well. Using wet hands, form the dough into small bite-sized balls (about the size of a gum ball). In a small separate pot, bring 1 cup of water to a boil and working in batches par-boil the dumplings. Once the dumplings begin to float to the surface, remove each batch of cooked dumplings with a slotted spoon or other instruments. Set the cooked dumplings aside in a small container until the simmering vegetables are cooked through.

3.       Once the vegetables are tender, add the soy sauce, mirin, and dashi and stir gently.

4.       Next, add the cooked dumplings and simmer until heated through. Finally, garnish with chopped leeks. Serve and enjoy!