Hot and Sour Soup with Mushrooms and Tofu

, from Issue #31. September, 2015
Photography by Aaron McLean.
Hot and Sour Soup with Mushrooms and Tofu

You’ll find all the ingredients for this soup at your local Asian supermarket and greengrocer.

Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS

Broth
8 cups vegetable stock
½ cup soy sauce
1 cinnamon stick
3 shallots, roughly chopped
8 cm piece of ginger, sliced
2 stalks lemongrass, root end only, sliced
6 kaffir lime leaves, sliced
2 tablespoons fish sauce

To finish
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
100 grams button mushrooms, thickly sliced
100 grams enoki mushrooms, tough stems trimmed off
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons julienne ginger
2 teaspoons sugar
150 grams firm tofu cut into 3 thick slices
1 cup frozen, podded edamame beans
¼ cup lime juice
1 cup fresh mung beansprouts
½ cup coriander leaves
1 long red chilli, seeded and thinly sliced

METHOD

Broth: Put all the ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 minutes. Strain into a bowl, pressing to release all the liquid. Discard the solids. The broth can be made 2 days ahead. If making ahead, refrigerate, leaving the solids in the broth for a greater depth of flavour. Strain before using.

To finish: Reheat the broth if made ahead. Add the edamame beans and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice.

Heat the two oils in a large sauté pan and cook the button mushrooms, garlic, ginger and sugar until the mushrooms are soft. Add the enoki mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate and set aside. Add the tofu to the sauté pan and cook for 3 minutes each side until lightly coloured. Add a little more oil to the pan if necessary. Transfer to a board and cut until small cubes.

To serve: Place the mushrooms, tofu and bean sprouts in soup bowls. Ladle over the hot broth and edamame beans and top with coriander and chilli. Makes about 8 cups.