Thai-style soup with tofu dumplings

6 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
10 ounces Tofu Mori-nu lite firm
½ cup Sake; or sherry
¼ cup Low sodium tamari soy sauce
½ teaspoon Minced fresh garlic
½ teaspoon Minced fresh ginger
6 cups Low sodium vegetable broth
1 tablespoon Fish sauce; or to taste
1 teaspoon Minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon Minced fresh ginger
½ cup Chopped fresh cilantro; OR flat leaf parsley
8 ounces Cellophane noodles; rehydrated, OR substitute other lowfat thin pasta
1 teaspoon Flour
1 Egg white; OR 2-Tbs liquid egg substitute
⅓ cup Finely chopped green onions; both white and green parts
½ teaspoon Minced fresh garlic
½ teaspoon Minced fresh ginger
Red pepper flakes; optional

Directions

TOFU AND MARINADE

SOUP

DUMPLINGS

Glass noodles, rice sticks, or mung bean noodles may be used in this soup.

Or try it with thin spaghetti made from wheat or rice. Fish sauce is discussed below. Garlic and ginger are added to the marinade, the broth and the dumplings. Serve the soup as a first course or with a salad for a light meal. Time: 30 minutes Marinade; 10 mins prep. Equip: Food processor or blender.

1. Drain tofu and cut into ½-inch slices. Marinate the tofu slices in a single layer in the sake, soy, ½ teaspoon each minced garlic and ginger for 30 minutes.

2. Prepare the noodles as directed on the package.

3. Bring vegetable broth to a simmer. Add 1 teaspoon each chopped ginger and garlic. Add fish sauce and cilantro. Adjust flavor.

4. Put tofu in a food procesor with the flour, egg white, scallions and ½ teaspoon each chopped ginger and garlic. Process quickly. You may add a little more flour to make a smooth paste of the tofu. Remove and shape into 1-inch balls or drop by rounded spoonful into the soup. Poach the dumplings gently for 1 minutes in the simmering broth, until they expand and float to the top. Add the noodles and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.

Serve.

It's easy to think of ways to vary this basic idea. Use the dumplings in a vegetable stew as you might Brunswick stew. You could add vegetables, vary the broth, the herbs and the spices.

VEGETABLE SOUP WITH TOFU DUMPLINGS: Omit noodles. Add finely shredded vegetables such as carrot, zucchini, green bean. Simmer in the broth 1 to 2 minutes. Remove. Bring broth to a simmer and cook dumplings. Combine and serve.

TORTILLA SOUP WITH TOFU DUMPLINGS: Substitute a bottled mole sauce or minced onion for the ginger. Marinate tofu in tangy or hot V-8 juice cocktail with garlic and chipotle barbecue sauce. For the broth, use bouillon instead of the fish sauce. Add corn, black beans, and diced red pepper to the soup. Top with tortilla strips. Serve.

The fish sauce (nam pla) is salty and slightly sweet. It adds another layer of flavor to the broth. You could leave it out or substitute a vegetable juice: carrot or V-8, or a vegetarian "oyster" sauce. Other options are also salty: add a small amount and adjust to taste: miso paste, soup-base concentrate (Minor's or Better than Bouillon are two brands), Braggs amino.

The result may need honey or other sweetener.

Select low sodium versions of the ingredients. EACH SERVING 214 cals with 4% cff: 1g fat (0.2g saturated), 58g carbs, 15g protein, 1584 mg sodium Don't like tofu? Omit the dumplings and serve the broth, adding mushroom sauce and fresh soy beans. >message from Kitpath@... 1/99 xlist-mcrecipe; eatlf

Recipe by: adapted from Vegetarian Compass by Karen Hubert Allison Posted to EAT-LF Digest by PatHanneman <kitpath@...> on Jan 29, 1999, converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.

Related recipes