Yosenabe

I've been inspired by the book Japanses Farm Food to go out on a limb and try making some Yosenabe.  There wasn't a recipe for what I wanted in the book, but I did get some inspiration for this dish and added ingredients above and beyond what the book called for in its vegetable yosenabe.  Here's my riff on yosenabe --

Chicken Yosenabe

2 boneless chicken thighs (or more if you want a meatier soup) sliced thinly
3 leeks, small and tender, sliced into 2 inch sticks and then cut in half and washed to remove all soil
2 large carrots slieced into 2 inch sticks
1 small head of cabbage, cut in quarters then cored and sliced in 1/2 inch lengths
2 watermelon daikons or 1 large white daikon, thinly sliced
8 cups chicken broth (homemade is best (see recipe for dark chicken broth on this site), but canned will do in a pinch)
3 cups water
2-3 TBSP soy sauce or more to your taste
1-2 TBSP mirin or more to your taste
2 rectangles of bean threads, roughly 2 inches x 4 inches by 3 inches each

In a 5 quart soup pot, heat the chicken broth, combined with the soy and mirin.  Bring to a boil, add the remaining ingredients except for the bean threads and cook for 20-30 minutes until the vegies are tender.  Add the bean threads and reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot.  Cook 2 minutes more.  Ladle into bowls and enjoy with a bowl of steamed rice on the side.

You could add some diced butternut squash if you like or maybe even some sliced shittake mushrooms, maybe some greens if you have some, like mustard greens or kale.  The possibilities with this soup are endless and it is a good way to clean out the vegetable bin before those vegies go bad.