Asian Vegetable & Tofu Soup with Bok Choy

• Garlic
• Shallots
• Bok choy
• Chicken broth
• Mirin
• Rice wine
• Soy sauce
• Sugar
• Shiitake mushrooms
• Firm tofu
• Red bell pepper
• Snow peas
• Baby corn
• Spring onions
• Hot green chilies
• Soy sauce
• Vinegar

Instructions

1. 1.Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2. 2.Add the garlic and shallots and shallow-fry until deeply browned. Be careful not to burn them, but don’t stop too early—you want them right on the edge of caramelized. The goal is to develop a rich brown color and deep flavor.
3. 3.Separate the bok choy stems from the leaves.
4. 4.Increase the heat slightly and quickly flash-fry the stems in the flavored oil for a minute or two. Remove them or leave them in the pot, depending on your preferred texture.
5. 5.Add the chicken broth (or vegetable broth) to the pot.
6. 6.Immediately add a mixture of: mirin, rice wine and soy sauce. Add a small amount of sugar
7. 7.Taste and adjust the seasoning until you are happy with the balance of sweet, salty, and savory flavors.
8. 8.A good sign that the garlic and shallots were cooked correctly is that the broth takes on a rich brown color. Ideally, the aromatics should have been just shy of burning before the broth was added, allowing those caramelized flavors to dissolve into the soup and create depth.
9. 9.Add Shiitake mushrooms, red bell pepper, snow peas, baby corn
10. 10.Simmer until the vegetables are tender but still vibrant.
11. 11.While the soup simmers, heat oil in a separate pan.
12. 12.Fry the tofu cubes until golden brown and crisp on the outside. Add the fried tofu to the soup.
13. 13.When the soup is fully cooked and ready to serve, bring it back to a gentle simmer.
14. 14.Add: bok choy leaves and spring onions
15. 15.Cook for just 30–60 seconds. The residual heat will wilt the bok choy leaves while keeping them bright and fresh. Avoid adding them earlier, as they can become overcooked and lose their texture.
16. 16.Finely chop the hot green chilies and combine them with soy sauce and vinegar
17. 17.Ladle the soup into bowls and serve immediately with the chili-soy-vinegar condiment on the side.