How to Make Enoki Mushroom Soup

Prepare the Mushrooms

Trim the base of the enoki and shiitake mushrooms, then rinse them to remove any dirt. Soak them in diluted saltwater for about 5 minutes, then drain and rinse again, allowing them to dry.

If you have rice water, you can use it to soak the mushrooms, as it helps clean them thoroughly and reduces their natural odor.

After soaking, drain the mushrooms and rinse them clean. Cut the enoki mushrooms into 2-3 sections, while slicing the fresh shiitake mushrooms into pieces about 0.5 cm thick. For small shiitake mushrooms, you can leave them whole and cut star-shaped slits on the surface for decoration.

Prepare Other Ingredients

Peel and wash the carrots, then cut them into chunks or slice them into flower shapes for an aesthetic touch in the soup.

Rinse the sweet corn and drain. You can cut the corn into small rounds, sections, or even separate the kernels, depending on your preference. For special occasions or gatherings, a combination of both rounds and kernels will make the soup look more appealing.

Transfer the pork paste to a bowl and season with 1/2 teaspoon of fish sauce, a pinch of soup powder, some ground pepper, and a little cooking oil. Mix well to ensure the meatballs are flavorful. Optionally, you can soak and finely chop some wood ear mushrooms to mix into the pork paste for a crunchy texture.

Grill 2 dried shallots and a piece of ginger until slightly charred, then peel the shallots and rinse them. These will be used to flavor the chicken bone broth. Peel and thinly slice the remaining dried shallots.

Wash and roughly chop the green onions and cilantro.

Rinse the soft tofu and cut it into bite-sized pieces.

Prepare the Broth

To enhance the flavor of the enoki mushroom soup and create a well-rounded broth, it’s best to use bone broth. You can use either chicken or pork bones, but chicken bones are more affordable and require less time to cook.

Trim any excess fat from the chicken bones, then rub them thoroughly with salt. Since chicken bones have a strong odor, it's best to also rub them with white wine and crushed ginger. Rinse the bones well afterward and chop them into smaller pieces if necessary.

Boil a pot of water with 1 tablespoon of salt. When the water reaches a boil, add the chicken bones and blanch for 5 minutes. Keep the lid off during this step.

Once blanched, remove the bones and rinse them. Add them to a clean pot with fresh water, and to enhance the broth’s flavor, add the grilled shallots and ginger from earlier.

Initially, bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Once it boils, lower the heat and let it simmer gently for about an hour to extract the sweetness from the bones.

During the simmering process, skim off any foam and leave the pot uncovered. Start with more than 2.5 liters of water, which should reduce to about 2 liters after 1 hour, making it sufficient for 4-5 servings.

Cook the Enoki Mushroom Soup

After about an hour of simmering, the broth will have developed a sweet flavor. Remove the chicken bones, grilled shallots, and ginger, then add the carrots and sweet corn pieces.

When the broth returns to a boil, use a teaspoon to form small meatballs from the seasoned pork paste and drop them into the pot. Cook for 7-8 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through and the carrots and corn are tender.

Next, add the shiitake mushrooms and enoki mushrooms, cooking for an additional 3-4 minutes until they are tender. Then, add the soft tofu, corn kernels, and sliced shallots, and cook for another 2 minutes.

Finally, season the soup to taste with soup powder, salt, MSG, and fish sauce for extra fragrance. Adjust the seasoning according to your family's preferences.