Asian Greens Soup with Squash, Tofu, & Enoki Mushrooms
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 3-4 quarts water
- mushroom broth to taste (see note below)
- ¼ of small kabocha squash, thinly sliced with skin intact
- 4-6 whole garlic cloves, peeled
- 2-3 Thai chili pepper, minced (see note below)
- drizzle of sesame oil
- pinch of salt
- a bunch of Asian greens (see note below)
- a bunch of Enoki mushrooms, roots cut and removed
- a block of firm tofu, thinly sliced
- 3-5 tablespoons of cooking oil to fry the tofu
Instructions
- Add water, mushroom broth, and a pinch of salt to a pot. Cover and put to simmer for 5-6 minutes.
- Meanwhile, toast garlic cloves in a toaster oven for 3 minutes or until they have brown and black toasted spots.
- At the same time, fry tofu on a separate pan.
- Once your soup is simmering, add kabocha squash and let it cook for another 5 minutes or until squash has slightly softened.
- Adjust seasoning to taste. You may add more mushroom broth, salt, or water. Drizzle some sesame oil.
- Put broth to a boil and turn down the heat to a low simmer. Add garlic, mushrooms, and greens. Cover pot and cook for another 3 minutes. You may finish up frying your tofu at this time.
- Lastly, add fried tofu to the pot.
- Turn off heat and serve hot, preferably with a side of rice.
Notes
Every brand of mushroom broth is different. They vary in form and strength. Start small and gradually add more until you've achieved your desired amount of savoriness. I like to use the brand "Po Lo Ku Mushroom Seasoning" that I get at my local Asian grocery store. I start with about three tablespoons, adding more to taste.
I like my soup mildly spicy. You may use more chili pepper if you want more kick. You may use chili oil or sambal olek in addition to or in replacement for the chili pepper. If you don't want it to be spicy at all, you may de-seed the pepper before adding to the pot or skip it altogether.
You may use any greens that have firm, sweet stalk and tender leaves. Ideally, I like to use snow pea leaves but I've also used yu choy, sometimes even kale.
Growing up, I was always told to remove the skin off the kabocha squash before cooking it. As it turns out, the skin is also edible! So feel free to keep the skin intact; it doesn't have any prominent flavor and it has nutritious fiber.
I like my soup mildly spicy. You may use more chili pepper if you want more kick. You may use chili oil or sambal olek in addition to or in replacement for the chili pepper. If you don't want it to be spicy at all, you may de-seed the pepper before adding to the pot or skip it altogether.
You may use any greens that have firm, sweet stalk and tender leaves. Ideally, I like to use snow pea leaves but I've also used yu choy, sometimes even kale.
Growing up, I was always told to remove the skin off the kabocha squash before cooking it. As it turns out, the skin is also edible! So feel free to keep the skin intact; it doesn't have any prominent flavor and it has nutritious fiber.
Recipe by ASTIG Vegan at https://www.astigvegan.com/asian-greens-soup-with-squash-tofu-enoki-mushrooms/