Corn Soup with Noodles and Tempeh
Ingredients
Soup
- 3 corns on the cob or 400 g / 3 cups of corn kernels*
- 60 ml / 4 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
- 3 small shallots
- 4 garlic cloves
- 20 g / 0.75 oz ginger
- 1 mild red chilli
- 2 lemongrass sticks
- 2-3 tsp mild curry powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 480 ml / 2 cups soy milk*
- 1/2 stock cube
- 20 ml / 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari (if GF)
- lime juice, to taste
- 85 g / 3 oz dry noodles, per person
Garnishes
- a handful of coriander / cilantro
- chilli oil, to garnish
- 1-2 spring onions / scallions
Glazed tempeh
- 200 g / 7 oz tempeh
- 20 ml / 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 45 ml / 3 tbsp lime juice
- 30 ml / 2 tbsp maple syrup or brown sugar
- salt
Preparation
Cut the kernels off the cobs and keep the cobs. If using defrosted or canned kernels, blot them dry on paper towels.
Heat up a heavy pan. Once hot, add 2 tsp of oil and stir-fry half of the kernels until cooked and lightly charred. Repeat with the remaining kernels.
Chop the shallots, garlic, ginger, chilli (deseed if you don’t like heat), and the inner soft part of the lemongrass. You can also blend the aromatics with a little oil into a paste if preferred.
In a large pot, heat 2 tbsp of oil and add the chopped aromatics or paste. Fry on low heat until fragrant and translucent, stirring frequently.
Season with salt, add curry powder, turmeric, stock cube, saved corn cobs, lemongrass discards, and 1 litre of water. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. If serving straight away, cook the noodles according to package instructions, undercooking by a minute.
Discard the corn cobs and lemongrass sticks. Transfer the soup and charred corn to a blender and blend until smooth. Return the mixture to the pot.
Heat 20 ml of vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the tempeh and cook until browned. Stir in lime juice, maple syrup, and salt, and cook until glazed.
Serve the soup in bowls with cooked noodles, top with glazed tempeh, and garnish with coriander, chilli oil, and sliced spring onions.
