Hot & Sour Garlic Chive Soup with Tofu
Submitted by PoorCook
Hot and sour garlic chive soup with silky tofu, cloud ear mushrooms, seaweed, and miso. A vegetarian Asian-style broth with tangy rice vinegar, chili heat, and herbaceous garlic chive garnish.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
40 minREADY
60 minA vegetarian hot and sour that builds its punchy flavor in layers. The broth simmers with carrots, romaine or Swiss chard, dried seaweed, a whole fresh chili, rice vinegar and white wine for 30 minutes, pulling flavor from everything before it gets strained into a clear, tangy base.
Tofu and sliced rehydrated mushrooms (cloud ear or shiitake) go back into the strained broth for the final simmer. The miso stirs in at the very end, off the heat, which is critical: boiling miso kills its delicate enzymes and turns the soup flat and bitter.
Garlic chives are the star garnish. Flatter and more garlicky than regular chives, they give the finished bowl a pungent, savory kick. If you can’t find them, the directions note a clever swap: one clove of garlic plus twice the volume of regular chives.
Kitchen Tips
- Soak dried cloud ear or shiitake in warm water for 20 minutes before cooking if using dried, then slice off the tough stems.
- Pat tofu dry between paper towels before adding, it holds its shape better.
- Taste before adding more miso, different brands vary wildly in saltiness.
- Never let the pot boil after the miso goes in, a gentle steam is all you want.
Variations
- Add rice noodles or soba in the final simmer for a more substantial meal.
- Swap white wine for sake and add a teaspoon of grated ginger.
- Finish with a drizzle of chili oil and a pinch of toasted sesame seeds.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large heavy pot, combine all the ingredients above the line.
Bring to a boil, then cover, lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove the mushrooms and slice thinly, discarding the tough portions.
Strain the broth and return it to the pan.
Add the tofu and mushrooms and simmer for 5 minutes.
Dissolve the miso in a small amount of the broth, stir it into the soup, then immediately remove the pot from the heat.
Garnish with minced garlic chive leaves and serve at once.
Note: substitution for the Chinese garlic chives: 1 clove garlic and twice as much volumn of fresh chives.
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