I missed the delicate ribbons of egg in egg drop soup but hadn’t yet finagled the perfect vegan replacement! Well I came upon tofu skins a little while back and they are delicate and delicious and perfect! You don’t even need a full package, to make this soup.
More about the recipe at the end of the post!
cooking oil
3 cloves garlic
1 medium shallot
1 large jalapeño
1 tablespoon freeze-dried ginger (or fresh equivalent)
6 cups water
2 tablespoons no-chicken bouillon concentrate
2 tablespoons nooch
10 ounces firm or deep-fried tofu
1 1/2 ounces dried tofu skins
2 medium carrots
1 – 2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cups peas
1 teaspoon sriracha
Serves eight (first-course size bowls)
Finely dice the garlic, shallot, and jalapeño. Set a cast-iron stockpot on medium-high heat and add oil. Saute the garlic, shallot, and jalapeño until starting to blacken, adding ginger a few minutes in.
When this mixture looks good, add the water, no-chicken boullion, and nooch. Bring to a boil; meanwhile cut up your tofu into uniformly-sized, 1/2″ cubes. Add the tofu and tofu skins upon the boil. Wash carrots, then grate directly into the soup.
Let the soup simmer for a little bit, at least five minutes; meanwhile mix the cornstarch in a little bit of cold water and stir well to combine. Add the cornstarch to the soup and stir, stir stir. Finally, add the frozen peas and sriracha; stir to combine. Remove from heat and let set for five minutes, then serve.
A few additional notes!
This soup is plenty salty to taste, but if you need a little more just add some tamari!
The amount of cornstarch depends on how thick you like your soup! I like just a hint of thickness; but some may prefer the traditional Chinese American diner experience and want to put more – like two teaspoons. If it’s not thick enough, just add bits of cornstarch water – always combine the cornstarch with cold water first, before adding to the soup, and stirring until you’ve reached desired consistency!
