Gary was a little under the weather last week and just wanted a rich brothy soup to sooth his throat. I added lots of fresh veggies and a bit of tofu with soy, mirin and siracha for an Asian flare and layers of flavor. Simply delicious.

Recipe

Brothy Asian Vegetable Soup
Ingredients:
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
1 stalk lemongrass, slightly bruised (beat the stock lightly with a knife to break it a bit)
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 pound brussels sprouts, quartered and blanched
3 baby bock choy, chopped
6 ounces fresh shitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
3 ounces snow peas, cut in half
4 ounces light tofu, cubed
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons mirin
1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1-2 tablespoons siracha (to your taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 green onions, green parts only, chopped

Preparation:
Saute onion, celery and carrot with olive oil in a large Dutch oven until barely softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, lemongrass and siracha and season with 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper.  Add the mushrooms, bock choy and brussels sprouts with the sesame oil, soy and mirin. Saute together for a few minutes then add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Meanwhile season the tofu with salt and pepper, then add it and hoisin together in a small sauce pan over low heat and cook together for 5 minutes. After the soup comes to a boil turn it down to a simmer, add the tofu and any remaining sauce along with the snap peas and cilantro, and simmer until ready to serve. Adjust any final seasonings. Ladle into large bowls and top with chopped green onions.