Update July 2019: The recipe has been retested and improved.
I have to admit I was not sure how to call this recipe as it’s not a traditional Vietnamese or Thai recipe, it is inspired though. This soup consists of a flavorful lemongrass and tomato broth served with fried tofu, rice noodles, and a sweet, salty, and spicy fermented tofu sauce stirred in just before serving. Then it’s topped with a ton of fresh herbs.
This soup has a very different flavor than phở, it is lighter on spices and has a lemony, fresh taste.
It starts with the lemongrass that is finely chopped and sautéed until fragrant. Next comes the tomatoes that add a natural sweetness to the broth.
To bring freshness we have lemon leaves, some dried shiitake for umami, and a few chili pepper slices for spiciness. Lemon leaves can be found in Asian stores, usually in the frozen section.
While the broth is cooking, you prepare the fermented tofu sauce. It is stirred into the broth at the very last time, giving it a deeper, more savory flavor. Do not omit it!
The sauce consists of fermented tofu, also called bean curd, once again available in Asian stores. It is sold in a very salty brine, in a jar. To balance the saltiness of the tofu, we mix it with maple syrup, lime juice, sesame oil, and some chili paste.
Finally, we have the add-ins: crispy fried tofu, mushrooms, rice noodles, and a ton of fresh herbs. You can tweak the add-ins to your liking, adding roasted vegetables, tempeh, bean sprouts, etc.
If you like broths that are easy to make and have a deep, complex flavor, you definitely have to try this recipe! It is healthy, comforting, and so delicious!
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!
Lemongrass Soup with Fermented Tofu Sauce
Umami packed soup flavored with lemongrass, lemon leaves, spices, and fermented tofu. Served with rice noodles, fried tofu, and a ton of fresh herbs! A comforting, healthy, and flavorful dish!
- Yield: 3 1x
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp (30ml) oil
- 1 lemongrass stalk, finely minced
- 2 large tomatoes, diced
- 4 cups (1 liter) water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sliced cayenne pepper
- 2 dried shiitakes
- 3–4 lemon leaves
- 1 star anise
- 2 tsp (6g) coconut sugar
- optional: 1 tsp tamarind paste soaked in 2 tbsp hot water
Fermented Tofu Sauce
- 4 cubes fermented tofu*, drained
- 1/4 tsp sambal badjak (or your favorite chili paste, or minced chili)
- 2 tbsp (30ml) maple syrup
- 1 tbsp (15ml) lime juice
- 1 tsp (5ml) sesame oil
Add-ins
- 4.5 ounces (130g) rice noodles
- 9 cubes fried tofu (or sautéed tofu)
- 1/2 cup (35g) mushrooms
- fresh cilantro, basil, and green onions
Instructions
- In a large saucepan or pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the lemongrass and sautée for about 3 minutes. Next, add the tomatoes and cook for 7-10 minutes, or until tender.
- Add the water, salt, sliced pepper, dried shiitakes, lemon leaves, star anise, and coconut sugar. If using, soak the tamarind in hot water for 10 minutes and add it to the pot.
- Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare the fermented tofu sauce: in a small mixing bowl, mash the fermented tofu with a fork. Then add the sambal badjak, maple syrup, lime juice, and sesame oil. Mix until combined and set aside.
- Prepare the add-ins. Cook the rice noodles according to the package instructions. Sautée or fry the tofu. Slice the mushrooms and the fresh herbs.
- To serve, divide the noodles, sliced mushrooms, and tofu into 3 serving bowls. Pour about 1 and 1/2 cup of the broth into the bowls. Next, stir in about 1,5 tbsp of the fermented tofu sauce into each bowl. Top with a ton of fresh herbs and serve immediately!
- The broth will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Notes
* Fermented tofu can be found in Asian stores. It is sold in small jars, the tofu is stored in a very salty brine.
To fry tofu, pat it dry. Cut it into squares and lightly coat it with cornstarch. Heat about one cup of oil in a saucepan. Once hot, add the tofu and fry until it is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a kitchen paper towel to remove excess oil.
Adapted from Cooky.vn
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 (with tofu and noodles)
- Calories: 359
- Sugar: 14.3g
- Fat: 13.4g
- Carbohydrates: 54.1g
- Fiber: 2.8g
- Protein: 7.3g
Made this tonight and did not care for it. If you make this leave out the cinnamon stick, it will dominate the whole dish.
★★★
Sorry to hear you didn’t like this recipe! Did you use the lemon leaves and added the fermented tofu sauce?
The fermented tofu was a great addition! I had never tried it before. I dig your recipes and love the Camembert (have 2 ageing right now. I make them on a regular basis now!) I just found this one had too many contrasting elements and the cinnamon was just too over powering.
No worries! It’s always good to get feedback. Good to know about the cinnamon, I will make sure to improve the recipe as needed!
There’s no cinnamon in this recipe! Am I missing something?
I re-tested the recipe and decided to remove the cinnamon.
Hi, can you tell me how you would beat mince lemongrass please? Also can you use normal sugar like muscovado instead? Can you recommend another chilli paste as I’m not sure I can get that one. Thanks Zoe
Hi Zoe, I’m not sure what you mean by beat mince?
Sure, feel free to use normal sugar! Regarding the chili paste, you could use sriracha, or sambal oelek.
Hi Sorry that was meant to say ‘best’ not beat but it wouldn’t let me log in and change it!
OK thank you 🙂
I made the broth 3 days ago. I followed your instructions to the letter and had the soup today with fermented tofu sauce and all the other ingredients and fresh herbs. DELISH!!!! The best soup I’ve ever had! Good enough to serve in any Thai restaurant! Thanks! A million dollar recipe !!!
You’re welcome Tom! Thanks so much for your amazing feedback 🙂
I plan to make this soup this week, but have a severe allergy to shiitakes. Any suggestions for umami substitutes? Thanks!
Humm…maybe another type of mushrooms?