Thursday, February 12, 2015

21 Day Souper Awesome Vegan Challenge- Kimchi Soup

Disclaimer:  The lovely and amazing Olivia Lane asked me to post a recipe back in December and I am late. I teach theatre and got caught up in festival one-act plays. I am inspired by Olivia's motivation and am growing in this department. Now that the show is over and was successful... I present to you my version of Vegan Kimchi Soup.

Soft tofu is often presented in this dish, but I am tend to add in easy baked tofu for most dishes. ( See recipe below) You can definitely add seitan to sit in for the traditional pork version, but I am do my best to add less gluten in my diet to attack digestion issues.

Also, Olivia will tell you that I am not by the book and go by taste. It is okay if ingredients aren't exact- just don't stray too far from it.

  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 3-4 clove of garlic (sliced or chopped)
  • 1 small white or yellow onion (sliced in moons)
  • 6-8 cups water or vegetable stock
  • 1 small white potato (cut in small cubes)
  • 1 tablespoon Korean red pepper paste (gochujang)*
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon of tamari, Bragg’s, or soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon mirin
  • 1 teaspoon of white miso*
  • 1 oz. Wood ear mushrooms (Soaked in water for at least 30 minutes) *
  • 6 scallions, chopped (I add more as green onion is my favorite in Asian soups and nothing beats it sweetness)
  • 1 1/2 cups kim chi, chopped
  • 8 ounces of easy baked tofu (see recipe below), cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1/2 cup short grain white rice (Sushi)
  • Couple handfuls of fresh spinach, kale, or any greens that floats your boat.
  • Fresh crushed black pepper
  • Optional: Shitake or Cremini mushrooms, shredded carrots,

       *You can purchase these items at specialty food stores or Asian markets.

Make sure your wood ear mushrooms are already soaking and your tofu is baked or baking. Heat the sesame oil in your soup pot at a medium heat. Sauté onion moons and garlic. Be sure not to burn them. Add your vegetable stock and potatoes. Add your Korean paste, soy sauce, and vinegar. Let simmer until potatoes are almost done. At this point you can prepare your sushi rice as it cooks pretty quickly. (I am lazy and throw the rice into the soup to cook to save time. Traditionally, it is served on the side.) Add your green onion, tofu, and mushrooms. Make sure your rice is cooked through and add greens and miso.


Easy Baked Tofu

15-16 oz. of Tofu

2 tablespoons of Oil (coconut, peanut, olive, or canola)

2 tablespoons of tamari, Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, soy sauce


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Press, drain, slice up your tofu. Add the tofu to a baking sheet that has a bit of oil to prevent sticking. Add oil and sauce and make sure all the tofu is coated. You can use a spatula.

Bake the tofu for 15-20 minutes, turning the tofu at least once to make sure it is baked evenly and not sticking. Check your tofu. I tend to bake it until it has a tougher texture.