Coconut Tofu Soup

🛒 Ingredients

• #Aromatics & Base;
• 2 stalks lemongrass — pale bottom part, bruised or thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic — minced,, 2.5 cm fresh ginger — grated
• 1 small onion — thinly sliced
• 1–2 fresh red chillies — sliced, adjust heat to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander.. ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• #Soup & Fillings;
• 400 ml can full-fat coconut milk,, 1.5 cups vegetable stock
• 250 grams firm tofu — pressed, cut into cubes
• 200 grams fresh shiitake or button mushrooms — sliced
• 3–4 stalks green onion — cut into 3 cm lengths
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari.. 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1–2 tablespoons coconut sugar or maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon sea salt — adjust to taste
• #Finish & Garnish;
• ¼ cup fresh coriander leaves — chopped
• Extra lime wedges — for serving,, Chilli flakes — optional

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1

   Sauté aromatics: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook 3 minutes until soft. Stir in lemongrass, garlic, ginger, chilli, coriander and cumin — cook 2 minutes until fragrant.

2. 2

   Build the broth: Pour in coconut milk and vegetable stock. Stir gently and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 5–7 minutes to let flavours infuse. Strain out woody lemongrass pieces if you prefer smoother soup.

3. 3

   Simmer ingredients: Add sliced mushrooms and tofu cubes. Simmer gently 8–10 minutes until mushrooms are tender and tofu is heated through. Do not boil rapidly or coconut milk may separate.

4. 4

   Balance the flavour: Stir in soy sauce, lime juice, coconut sugar and salt. Taste and adjust — add more lime for brightness, sugar for sweetness, soy for depth, or chilli for heat. The soup should taste creamy, tangy, salty and subtly sweet all at once.

5. 5

   Finish and serve: Add green onion and fresh coriander. Simmer 1 minute more then remove from heat. Ladle into bowls, top with extra coriander and chilli flakes. Serve hot with lime wedges on the side.