Tofu and Red Pepper Soup
A rich, spicy noodle broth with blackened, juicy stir-fried peppers and tofu.
Serving 4
1 tbls vegetable oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 red chilli, thinly sliced in rounds
1 inch lump of ginger, chopped fine, and crushed
50g bean thread noodles
dash sesame oil
generous dash soy sauce
stock / water
1 tbls (or less) oil
1 red pepper, sliced into bite-sized pieces
250g tofu, sliced into bite-sized pieces
another generous dash dark soy sauce
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 tsp honey (or maple syrup, if you're a strict sort of vegan)
black pepper
For this one, make a basic spicy soup, then add the stir-fried tofu and pepper. If you like, you can prepare the soup in advance, then just reheat it on top of the tofu.
First make the soup: heat the oil, and fry the onion and ginger over a fairly high light. When softening, add the garlic and chili. Stir-fry a little longer, but don't let the garlic burn. Splosh in some sesame oil and soy sauce, and let it sizzle. Then pour on a generous amount of water. Add the noodles, and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the tofu and pepper. Heat the oil in a wok, and toss in the pepper and tofu. Stir-fry over a high light to quickly blacken and soften. Add some soy sauce, and allow to sizzle for a moment. Then take the pan off the light and add some mustard, ground black pepper, and honey/syrup. Stir well to coat the tofu. Pour in the prepared soup (reheating if necessary).
Add light soy sauce to taste. The pepper and tofu should be juicy and tender, without the sogginess that comes of being boiled in the soup for ten minutes.
Serve with hot ciabatta bread, if you have some. I don't know why noodle soup is such a good match with ciabatta, but it is.