Chinese-Style Vegetable Soup with Tofu

Ingredients

• AROMATICS
• 2–3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Small piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 3 spring onions, white and green parts separated
• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• VEGETABLES AND TOFU
• 1 carrot, diced
• 40 g fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• Chinese broccoli, leaves and stalks separated and chopped
• 4 baby corn spears, chopped
• 200 g silken tofu, cut into medium pieces
• BROTH
• 2 tsp umami powder, optional
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1 litre water
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• SLURRY
• 3 tbsp potato starch
• 1 cup water

Method

1. Finely chop the garlic and ginger.
2. Slice the spring onions, keeping the white and green parts separate.
3. Dice the carrot.
4. Slice the shiitake mushrooms.
5. Separate the Chinese broccoli leaves from the stalks and chop both.
6. Chop the baby corn.
7. Cut the silken tofu into medium pieces.
8. Heat the avocado oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
9. Add the garlic, ginger and white spring onion parts.
10. Sauté for 4–5 minutes.
11. Add the umami powder, salt and white pepper.
12. Stir in the carrot, Chinese broccoli stalks and mushrooms.
13. Pour in the litre of water.
14. Bring the soup to the boil.
15. Add the baby corn and Chinese broccoli leaves.
16. Stir in the soy sauce and sesame oil.
17. Mix the potato starch with the cup of water until smooth.
18. Pour half the slurry into the soup while stirring.
19. Return the soup to the boil.
20. Add the remaining slurry gradually until the soup reaches the desired thickness.
21. Gently add the silken tofu.
22. Turn off the heat and stir carefully.
23. Garnish with the green spring onion parts and extra white pepper.