I alway love a tangy, brothy soup and this one is perfect. It has its flavor roots in Thai cuisine and was featured in the October 2020 issue of bon appetit magazine (page 17), but with fish. You can tell I never throw out my foodie magazines nor do I forget a good recipe. I've made it with fish and vegetarian and I actually prefer it with Mori-Nu Tofu. This is going to be a perfect addition to my Diwali table this year as a fun change from all of the Indian dishes on the table, especially because it's not only flavorful but completely vegetarian if you opt for a vegetarian fish sauce. Watch me make it in my Facebook Live cooking class.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium shallots, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 lemongrass stalks, bottom third only, tough outer layers removed, minced
1-2 red or green Thai or serrano chiles, stems removed and thinly sliced
4 medium tomatoes, pureed *
2 teaspoons salt
2 limes, juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon vegetarian fish sauce (Tasty Joy)
1/3 cup coarsely chopped herbs (cilantro, dill, and/or basil)
1 12.5 oz. package Mori-Nu tofu, (soft, firm, or extra firm)
1. Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, lemongrass, and chiles and cook, stirring occasionally. The ingredients will become aromatic but should not take on any color or brown. Cook for about 3 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes and stir. Cook for another 3 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly. * I grate my tomatoes against the largest holes on a box grater. The peel will get left behind - just save that to add to homemade soup broth later. The best tomatoes are the very ripe ones that look like they are about to go bad.
3. Pour 4 cups of cold water into the pot and bring to a slow simmer for 2 minutes.
4. Turn the heat off and add the salt, lime juice, fish sauce, and herbs. Stir.
5. Carefully, so it does not break, add the entire tofu. Place the lid back on the pot and let it sit for a few minutes before serving. The tofu will warm through and your guests can break off pieces as they serve themselves. This makes for a beautiful presentation and prevents the tofu from breaking down too much ahead of serving. I like all textures of Mori-Nu tofu in this soup.
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