Easy Tom Yum Zucchini Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 medium-sized zucchini spiralized
- 1/4 cup mushrooms quartered, used Bella
- 1/4 cup tomatoes used grape tomatoes
- 4 oz firm tofu pressed
- 1 stalk lemongrass, white part only pounded
- 3 slices galangal
- 5 lime leaves
- 3 teaspoons red chili paste/sambal
- 2 tablespoons Vegan 'fish' sauce
- 1 Thai chili chopped
- 2 cups vegetable broth or homemade stock
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar
- juice from 2 limes
- 1/2 cup coconut milk or more for a creamier version
- oil for cooking
- salt to taste
Garnishes
- chili oil
- sliced red onions or shallots
- fried shallots
- chopped cilantro
- lime wedges
Preparation
To prepare the tofu, cut it into your desired shape. In a heated non-stick pan with a drizzle of oil, pan-fry tofu until golden brown on both sides. Season with a pinch of salt and set aside.
Using the back of a knife, pound lemongrass a few times to release its flavor, then slice it thinly.
In a heated non-stick pan with 3 teaspoons of oil, sauté lemongrass, lime leaves, and galangal until fragrant.
Then, stir in sambal, vegan 'fish' sauce, chili, and vegetable broth. Let the mixture simmer over low-medium heat for 5 minutes, covered.
Meanwhile, spiralize the zucchini into noodles and set aside.
Remove lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves at this point, if needed. Once the soup has reduced slightly, add the mushrooms, tomatoes, tofu, then season with lime juice and coconut sugar. Season accordingly.
Add in the coconut milk, and slowly place in the zucchini noodles, then turn off the heat. Alternatively, ladle hot soup over spiralized zucchini to retain the crunchy texture.
Garnish with a swirl of chili oil, sliced red onions, fried shallots and lime wedges before serving.
