Sansai tanuki soba / buckwheat noodles with mountain vegetables and tempura pearls

As a noodle topping, sansai mountain vegetables alone give a refreshing taste but could be a bit too light. Tenkasu tempura pearls add a rich note but could lack texture. They soak up the soup, which could also mean you get more sodium than desired. Combining these two ingredients while reducing the volume of each is one delicious solution. Sliced young myoga stems offer a clean aroma and taste.

For the recipe below, usukuchi pale soy sauce and regular dark soy sauce, not reduced-sodium soy sauce, are used for the soup to achieve stronger umami. Dried enoki mushrooms are also added to enhance the umami effect. The strong soup means more satisfaction with a smaller amount compared to a weaker soup, and this naturally makes us refrain from taking extra sips, preventing excess sodium consumption. This works especially well with unflavored toppings or toppings that contain lots of moisture.

1/2 of recipe: 
425 calories; 17.7 g protein; 3.6 g fat; 78.6 g carbohydrate; 8.4 g net carbs; 479 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 7.2 g fiber; 371 mg potassium

Koyadofu to warabi no misoshiru / miso soup with freeze-dried tofu and bracken

Spongy rehydrated freeze-dried tofu absorbs the delicious flavor medley of the soup, which is released into your mouth as you bite or chew pieces of koyadofu. Its resilient texture contrasts well with succulent warabi bracken. Pale young stems of myoga are sliced for an invigorating garnish for this low-key miso soup.

1/2 of recipe:
64 calories; 5.7 g protein; 3.2 g fat; 2.9 g carbohydrate; 1.9 g net carbs; 250 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.0 g fiber; 181 mg potassium

Maitake to warabi no gorugonzoora pasta / pasta with hen of the woods mushrooms and bracken in gorgonzola sauce

Crunchy maitake is a nice addition to rich gorgonzola sauce for pasta. A vegetable in season -- warabi this time -- takes away the heavy note of the cheese sauce, which is also lightened by replacing the typical heavy cream with a combination of soy milk and sakekasu sake lees.
Since the sauce cooks fast once you add the soy milk and gorgonzola mixture, start cooking pasta before starting to saute maitake and warabi for the sauce.

548 calories (1/2 of recipe); 21.6 g protein; 24.2 g fat; 59.8 g carbohydrate; 54.2 g net carbs; 234 mg sodium; 30 mg cholesterol; 5.6 g fiber

Warabi no tataki (miso aji) / savory bracken paste (miso version)

An earthy and softly bitter taste with the minty sensation of spring. This simple little dish is treasured by grownups as a companion for their drinks or as a topping for steamed rice. Try this with just-harvested warabi bracken to experience the best taste and aroma of the wild plant.

11 calories (1/2 of recipe); 0.8 g protein; 0.2 g fat; 1.6 g carbohydrate; 0.7 g net carbs; 103 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 0.9 g fiber

Soba to warabi no ponzu sarada / buckwheat noodle and bracken salad with citrus soy sauce

Warabi's succulent texture pairs well with soba buckwheat noodles and ponzujoyu. As warabi needs a bit of time to absorb flavor, it is cooked in dressing for the quick fix below.

1/2 of recipe:
251 calories; 8.3 g protein; 5.4 g fat; 43.4 g carbohydrate; 39.4 g net carbs; 223 mg sodium (with ponzujoyu made with 50% reduced sodium soy sauce); 0 mg cholesterol; 4.0 g fiber

Warabi to eringi no iridofu / scrambled tofu with bracken and king oyster mushrooms

Iridofu scrambled tofu is a wonderful way to showcase any in-season vegetable. Warabi bracken is no exception. As warabi is a great match with shrimp and mushrooms, the dish takes advantage of sakura ebi (for an underlying toasty note) and eringi mushrooms (for a hint of sourness). A delightful everyday meal companion.

1/2 of recipe:
128 calories; 10.0 g protein; 7.2 g fat; 6.9 g carbohydrate; 3.4 g net carbs; 169 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce, 198 mg with regular soy sauce); 61 mg cholesterol; 3.5 g fiber

Shiitake to warabi no buriichiizu-yaki / shiitake and bracken with brie cheese

Wow! A great little appetizer that really is something different. Goes well with both Western and Asian dishes.

3 shiitake: 
54 calories; 3.0 g protein; 4.1 g fat; 1.6 g carbohydrate; 0.3 g net carbs; 74 mg sodium; 11 mg cholesterol; 1.3 g fiber

Warabi to ebi no kakiage / mixed tempura with bracken and shrimp

As with any ingredient in season, bracken makes great tempura. Here is a wonderful combination with shrimp.

2 kakiage + tentsuyu*: 
218 calories; 4.8 g protein; 17.4 g fat; 9.2 g carbohydrate; 8.2 g net carbs; 108 mg sodium (tentsuyu made with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 184mg with regular soy sauce); 341 mg cholesterol; 1.0 g fiber
*When 1 tbsp is consumed.

Warabi to ebi no nimono / simmered bracken with shrimp

Soy sauce-flavored warabi bracken is paired with softly sweet shrimp. Here, Pacific Northwest coon shrimp add a cheerful color to the dish. To get every last bit of flavor from the coon shrimp, whole shrimp are used below.

Warabi no tamagotoji / bracken with egg in broth

A soupy tamagotoji with somewhat strong-flavored bracken coated with egg.

Warabi no karashijoyu-bitashi / bracken marinated in Japanese mustard soy sauce

One of the simplest ways to enjoy freshly harvested prep-boiled warabi.

Warabi to ganmodoki no nimono / bracken and deep-fried tofu patties simmered in broth

A slightly strongly flavored comforting food of salt-preserved bracken and juicy tofu patties. It tastes good as is and also as part of a takiawase assortment of other simmered items.

Warabi, konnyaku, satsumaage no itameni / saute-simmered bracken, konnyaku yam cake and deep-fried fishcake in broth

Somewhat crunchy warabi bracken makes a good contrast to tender fishcake and soft yet chewy konnyaku yam cake. A tasty, low-key companion for plain steamed rice and sake.

Warabi no shiozuke, shionuki / salted bracken, desalination

You can preserve fresh warabi bracken in salt for a year-round supply. Salt-preservation is one way to neutralize the harmful substance in warabi. All salt is eliminated before use.
There are two steps in salting: the first salting is to get rid of the water in warabi, and the second is to preserve it.

Warabi to age no nimono / bracken and thin deep-fried tofu in broth

A low-key side dish that brings back memories of the old days. This time prepared with salted preserved bracken, and this dish has a contrasting texture of soft deep-fried tofu and crunchy bracken.

Sansai gohan / rice with mountain vegetables

A kayaku gohan (rice with assorted ingredients) featuring warabi bracken. The various textures and tastes of ingredients come together in mellow sweet rice and aromatic soy sauce.

Warabi, tofu, age no akadashi / red miso soup with bracken, tofu and thin deep-fried tofu

Red miso perfectly matches the clinging texture of warabi. Pair with common ingredients such as tofu and usuage for a great simple companion to a meal.

Warabi no umebitashi / bracken marinated in light broth with pickled plum

A pleasant warabi dish to enjoy the taste of spring from the field. The fruity sourness of umeboshi is refreshing while sesame oil adds aroma and rich flavor.

Warabi to kinoko no amakara shoyuzuke / bracken and mushrooms marinated in lightly sweetened spicy soy sauce

A great companion for plain rice, soba or udon noodles. Also good as a topping for hiyayakko tofu.