This recipe is adapted from Deborah Madison’s very wonderful cookbook: Vegetable Soups. I highly recommend adding this book to your kitchen.
This particular recipe is wonderful for a damp, chilly fall or winter day. It is a clear broth soup, so it is not too heavy. It also has ginger and jalapeno peppers — very warming for the digestion! It makes about 6 cups of soup.
To make it more of a meal, you could serve it with cooked rice noodles. This soup is Gluten-free and Vegan, but does have soy in it, for those of you with allergies or sensitivities.
Ingredients:
6 dried shitake mushrooms (these are commonly found in markets now. Locally, MOM carries them)
1 1/2 Tbsp peanut oil — best to get organic, unrefined oils
2 – 6 slices fresh ginger, about 1 1/2″ wide, smashed — I like a LOT of ginger in mine, so I use 4 to 6 slices
Sea Salt
2 – 4 tsp finely diced jalapeno pepper — if you like some heat, use more. If not, go with 2 tsp. It will have a nice tang, but will not be spicy
2 tsp minced fresh garlic
1/3 cup cilantro stems, finely chopped
2 bunches scallions, including 3″ of the greens, finely chopped
1 cup celery, finely diced
8 to 10 ounces firm tofu, drained and cut into small dice
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1 tsp wheat-free soy sauce, tamari, or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, plus more for serving
Toasted Sesame Oil, for serving
This soup is very quick to make if you are very organized — I strongly urge you to wash and chop all of the ingredients and have them ready to go before you turn on the stove. Once you’ve done that, it is 15 minutes or so to the table! You will also want a fine-mesh strainer and possibly some cheesecloth.
Cover the mushrooms with 5 cups of boiling water and set aside to rest while you are dicing your vegetables . I also like to allow the ginger slices to rest in the oil at the bottom of my wok while I am dicing my vegetables. It infuses into the oil.
Once you’ve done the preparation work, heat the oil over medium high heat (with ginger in it) and add 1/2 tsp of salt while you stir fry for a few seconds. Add the jalapeno and garlic and stir fry for 2 minutes, adding the cilantro stems for the last 20 seconds or so.
Lower the heat to medium and add the scallions. Cook for 3 minutes, until they turn bright green. Then add the celery and 1/4 tsp of salt.
Now, strain the liquid from your dried mushrooms through the fine mesh strainer (you can use cheesecloth in the strainer if you like), squeezing the now plump mushrooms to get all of the liquid out. Add this liquid to your soup pot.
Now, slice up your mushrooms and add to the soup. Add in the tofu as well, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Right before serving, add in your chopped cilantro leaves and the soy sauce/tamari/Bragg’s.
Dress up each bowl with a bit more soy sauce and a dash of sesame oil. Enjoy!
