Benihana Hibachi Onion Soup
Benihana hibachi onion soup made with the exact ingredients used at all Benihana restaurants, including Swiss Chalet HACO brand chicken and beef consomme bases and soybean oil. The vegetables are sauteed until caramelized before simmering, then the broth is strained and seasoned for a clear, golden soup served with paper-thin mushrooms, green onions, and fried onions. Includes a grocery store version using Campbell's condensed soups that gets 95% of the way to the restaurant flavor.
Servings 8 servings
Calories 35kcal
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot Medium stockpot works
- 1 Fine Mesh Strainer For straining the broth
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Mixing Bowls For dissolving stock bases
- 1 Ladle
- 1 Deli Containers For storing prepped garnishes
Ingredients
The Broth
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 garlic cloves lightly crushed
- 1 1/2 cups onion roughly chopped
- 3/4 cup carrot roughly chopped
- 3/4 cup celery roughly chopped
- 1/2 tsp HACO chicken flavor base paste Swiss Chalet brand, dissolved in 1 cup boiling water from the 8 cups total
- 1/2 tsp HACO beef flavor base paste Swiss Chalet brand, dissolved in 1 cup boiling water from the 8 cups total
- 8 cups water divided: 2 cups boiling for stock, 6 cups added later
- 2 tsp kosher salt for simmering; additional salt added to taste after straining
- 1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
The Garnishes
- button mushrooms thinly sliced, cleaned with damp paper towel
- green onions thinly sliced
- French's fried onions to taste
Optional Grocery Store Version
- 1 can Campbell's Beef Consomme 10.5 oz
- 1 can Campbell's chicken broth 10.5 oz
Instructions
Prep the Stock
- Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add ½ teaspoon HACO chicken base and ½ teaspoon HACO beef base to a bowl. Pour the boiling water over the pastes and whisk until completely dissolved. Set aside.
Prep the Garnishes
- Wipe button mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel. Trim any long stems and slice as thinly as possible. You want them paper-thin so they almost dissolve in the hot broth.
- Thinly slice green onions. Store mushrooms and green onions in covered containers in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Make the Soup
- Add 2 tablespoons soybean oil (vegetable oil) to a medium stockpot over medium heat until the oil is lightly shimmering. Add 4 lightly crushed whole garlic cloves and saute until garlic is browned. Remove garlic from pot and set aside. Do not let the garlic blacken or it will make the soup bitter.
- Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery to the pot. Saute, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are nicely caramelized. The browning brings out sweeter, more complex flavors and gives the broth a roasted quality.
- Return the garlic to the pot. Add the reconstituted chicken and beef stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and simmer for approximately 3 minutes.
- Add 6 cups (1.4 liters) of water, 2 teaspoons (6 grams) of kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) of whole peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a very light simmer for 45 minutes. Optionally skim the oil and fat from the surface while simmering.
- After 45 minutes, strain the soup through a fine mesh strainer, discarding the vegetables. Do not press the vegetables against the strainer as this can cloud the broth.
- Allow the broth to cool slightly, then taste. It will be fairly bland at this point. Adjust seasoning by adding kosher salt ½ teaspoon at a time until the broth is well-seasoned. Expect to add 3 to 5 extra teaspoons of salt.
Serve
- Place a pinch of French's fried onions at the bottom of a bowl. Add a few paper-thin mushroom slices and a pinch of thinly sliced green onions on top. Ladle the seasoned broth over the garnishes.
Video
Notes
Grocery Store Version
Replace the HACO stock bases with 1 can (10.5 oz) Campbell's condensed beef consomme and 1 can (10.5 oz) Campbell's condensed chicken stock. Use the exact same method. The grocery store version is about 95% similar in flavor and nearly as clear as the Benihana version. The important detail is to use Campbell's condensed beef consomme specifically, not regular beef stock or broth. Why Is the Restaurant Version So Clear?
HACO brand stock bases are actually consomme bases. A consomme is a stock that's been clarified using a coagulating agent (typically egg whites), which removes particles and produces a nearly transparent liquid. Regular stock is unclarified, which is why home versions always look cloudier than what you get at the restaurant. Seasoning Is the Most Important Step
The broth will taste bland right after straining. All the seasoning happens at the end. Add kosher salt ½ teaspoon at a time, tasting between additions, until the broth is well-seasoned. Don't Simmer Longer Than an Hour
Peak extraction time for vegetables in a simmering liquid is 45 minutes to 1 hour. After that, vegetables start breaking down, which can add bitterness and release particles that cloud the broth. Storage
Strained broth keeps 3-4 days refrigerated in an airtight container, or up to 3 months frozen. Add garnishes fresh when reheating, not before storing. Fried onions dissolve if they sit in the broth too long.
Replace the HACO stock bases with 1 can (10.5 oz) Campbell's condensed beef consomme and 1 can (10.5 oz) Campbell's condensed chicken stock. Use the exact same method. The grocery store version is about 95% similar in flavor and nearly as clear as the Benihana version. The important detail is to use Campbell's condensed beef consomme specifically, not regular beef stock or broth. Why Is the Restaurant Version So Clear?
HACO brand stock bases are actually consomme bases. A consomme is a stock that's been clarified using a coagulating agent (typically egg whites), which removes particles and produces a nearly transparent liquid. Regular stock is unclarified, which is why home versions always look cloudier than what you get at the restaurant. Seasoning Is the Most Important Step
The broth will taste bland right after straining. All the seasoning happens at the end. Add kosher salt ½ teaspoon at a time, tasting between additions, until the broth is well-seasoned. Don't Simmer Longer Than an Hour
Peak extraction time for vegetables in a simmering liquid is 45 minutes to 1 hour. After that, vegetables start breaking down, which can add bitterness and release particles that cloud the broth. Storage
Strained broth keeps 3-4 days refrigerated in an airtight container, or up to 3 months frozen. Add garnishes fresh when reheating, not before storing. Fried onions dissolve if they sit in the broth too long.
Nutrition
Calories: 35kcal