Japanese Tantanmen Soup

 
I came across this recipe some time ago and have just been waiting to make it. One of the reasons that I kept putting it off is that it has a very, very long list of ingredients. You may already have many of them in your cupboard, but you will likely also have to pick up a few of them. One of the great things about shopping at Great Lakes Refill Co is that you don't need to buy large quantities of them. And I promise you, this soup is worth the work. I would gladly eat this broth with just about any protein and vegetable substitutes. In fact, I recommend making a double batch of the broth. To serve, you can always mix and match. Don't love fried tofu? No problem, toss in some cooked chicken. Not as crazy about Bok Choy as I am? Substitute with broccoli, or any other cooked green vegetable.

Ingredients:

For the broth:
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp canola oil
2 tsp of ginger
5 garlic cloves
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp tamari
1 tsp miso paste
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp tahini
3 tbsp of vegetable soup mix
1litre boiling water
1/2 can coconut full cream
1 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp lime juice

For the tofu:
Large block of firm tofu
1/2 cup corn starch, seasoned with salt and pepper
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp canola oil
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp ginger powder
1 tbsp tamari
1 tsp white miso paste 
1 tsp peanut butter
2 tbsp water

To serve:
4 servings of rice noodles, cooked
Bok Choy
Toasted sesame seeds
1 spring onion, sliced
Fresh coriander, chopped

1. Heat a soup pot over medium heat, then add the sesame and canola oils and fry the garlic and ginger until fragrant.
2. Prepare the vegetable soup base by boiling 1 litre of water and stirring in the soup base, then adding in the miso, tahini, peanut butter and the coconut cream. Once combined, add to the soup pot.
3. Stir in the tamari, turmeric, sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer for 20 mins, then stir in lime juice, just before serving.
4. To make the tofu glaze, mix together in a bowl garlic powder, ginger powder, tamari, and peanut butter. Add water to loosen.
5. Cut the tofu into 1cm thick cubes, coat in seasoned corn starch and fry in sesame and canola oil until crispy, flipping when first side is crispy. Once cooked, add tofu to glaze and coat well.
6. Cook the rice noodles according to package directions. Cut Bok Choy into quarters and steam. Toast sesame seeds in a hot frying pan for no more than 30 seconds.
7. Assemble soup bowls by dividing all ingredients into four bowls: broth, rice noodles, bok choy and tofu. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds, sliced green onions and chopped cilantro.

Enjoy!

Source: Alfie Cooks on Instagram