Miso Soup for the Vegan Soul

Tasha — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 08:40:46 +0000

Brrr! It is finally starting to get cold here and we are loving it! At night it drops down into the 40s and 50s and during the day it is brisk and sunny and usually in the 70s. Winter here in Saudi Arabia is glorious and we have been spending as much time as possible outside enjoying this rare respite from the usually ferocious heat.

And when it gets cold outside what does every vegan want? A bowl of soup, of course!

I wish I could invite you all over for a steaming bowl of this simple yet delectable soup. Its flavors are subtle, but perfectly married to create an absolute symphony of YUM in your mouth. I haven’t had soup this good in a long time.

Whereas I usually prefer spicier, bolder flavors, when I created this soup I was craving something simple and soothing, a hearty dinner to enjoy after a long and fun day spent playing outside. The miso swirled into the broth infuses this soup with a very authentic ‘chicken’ flavor while the leeks and green onions impart a buttery, onion taste to every bite. This is one of my favorites, I hope you make it and love it!

Ingredients

½ lb of farfalle noodles boiled separately according to package directions, drained and set aside (feel free to use more traditional buckwheat soba noodles, we just don’t get those here!)

1 bunch of leeks, chopped

3 cloves garlic, diced fine

5 liters of water

4 carrots, chopped

1 large bunch of chard, chopped

1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

½ cup of white miso

Green onions for garnish

Recipe

- Boil the farfalle pasta by itself according to directions, drain and set aside

- In a large soup pot in a drizzle of olive oil, saute the leeks and garlic with salt and pepper for about 10 minutes

- Add in 5 litres of water, and the carrots, and bring to a simmer and cook until the carrots are soft, about 15 minutes

- Add in the large bunch of chard and the can of chickpeas

- Remove 1 cup of the simmering broth and whisk the miso into it, combining completely

- Add the miso/water mixture back into the soup pot and stir everything to make sure the miso is dissolved throughout the broth

- Serve topped with green onions

I served mine with a side of vegetable spring rolls drizzled with sweet and sour sauce, and steamed broccoli.

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General Tso's Tofu

Tasha — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:24:00 +0000

Is there anything more traditionally All-American than eating General Tso’s tofu on the 4^th of July? I think not. This dish is absolutely out of this world, I couldn’t believe the amount of flavor in each crispy, spicy piece of tofu. Chinese food is so good, one of my favorites, but I never knew it could be this good. The sweet, spicy sauce drenches the crisp tangy marinated slices of tofu so beautifully that I was speechless while I was eating, which is a very rare occurrence. I still can’t get over how well my impromptu kitchen experiment turned out. Happy 4^th of July!

Ingredients
(this recipe feeds 4 people)
3 small boxes of firm tofu (300 grams each, 900 grams total) slice each block into roughly 10-12 thin triangles (you can press the water out if you want to, but I didn’t bother and it still turned out incredibly good)

Marinade
2 cloves garlic, diced fine
1 tsp powdered ginger
Pinch of salt and pepper
1 cup rice wine vinegar
2/3 cup sesame oil
2/3 cup soy sauce
½ tsp cayenne powder

-Combine marinade ingredients and pour over the tofu. Allow the tofu to marinate for 3-6 hours, turning the pieces occasionally.

Coating
2 cups cornstarch
1 tsp salt

-Remove tofu from the marinade and toss in the coating. Fry the tofu slices in a few inches of peanut oil in a large skillet on medium heat until dark golden and crispy on both sides, then set aside while making the sauce.

Sauce
2 small green or red chili peppers, sliced small with the seeds removed
1 cup green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, diced fine
½ Tbsp powdered ginger
¾ cup water
1 Tbsp lemon juice
4 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp soy sauce
Pinch of salt and pepper
1 and ½ Tbsp cornstarch dissolved into 2 Tbsp water

-Fry the first four ingredients on medium high heat in a large frying pan with a drizzle of peanut oil. After two minutes of cooking add the last 6 ingredients.

-Once all the sauce ingredients are combined cook them, continually stirring, for around 3 minutes. Then remove from the heat and toss with the tofu until ever piece is completely coated.

Serve with a side of oven roasted broccoli (take 2 heads, chop into large florets, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper and bake for 12 minutes) and brown rice.

DELICIOUS!

Voracious » Asian

Miso Soup for the Vegan Soul

General Tso's Tofu