Creamy, luscious, silky carrot soup with slips of tender noodles, piles of chewy, crispy, spicy shredded tofu and drizzles of chili oil. A bright, hearty, filling soup that is packed with flavour and texture!
PREP TIME: 10 minutesminutes
COOK TIME: 20 minutesminutes
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutesminutes
Servings: 4to 5 servings
Ingredients
For the soup
1tablespoonolive oil
1mediumoniondiced
2lbs or 907 grams (about 8 large)carrotspeeled & chopped roughly
4clovesgarlicminced
1teaspoonground cumin
2teaspoonsfine sea salt
½teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
4 cups (960ml)stock
1 can (400 ml/13.5 oz)coconut milk
about 8oz (228 grams)dried rice noodles, about 2oz (57g) per person. Only cook as many as you need. They don't reheat well.
Make the soup - Place a soup pot over medium heat. Add the oil, onion and carrots. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onion just turns golden on the edges, then add the garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook for another minute.
Add the stock. Stir, then partly cover with a lid and simmer gently for about 15 minutes until the carrot is soft.
Puree with an immersion blender until smooth, then add the coconut milk. Stir, then allow to warm through. Turn down low to keep warm until everything else is ready, or turn off and reheat later.
Cook the tofu - While the soup is simmering, place a wide saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil, grated tofu, soy sauce, garlic, pepper, chili powder and sugar. Toss well, then cook for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently until deeply golden, dried out, and chewy. If your timings are a bit off, you can turn it off and reheat for a couple of minutes before serving.
Cook the noodles - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and cook the noodles until almost cooked but still with a good amount of bite. Usually a minute or two less than it says on the packet. Drain through a sieve and immediately run under lots of cold water while using your fingers to gently shake/separate them apart while rinsing to avoid clumping. Set aside.
Serve - Divide the noodles between each bowl (the hot soup will warm them up). Ladle over the soup, then pile on the shredded tofu. Finish with a generous drizzle of chili oil or chili crisp and a drizzle of coconut cream or yogurt.
NOTES
TIP - Before adding the coconut milk to the soup, I like to scoop out a tablespoon or 2 of the coconut cream from the can. Put it in a small bowl, give it a stir and then you can drizzle it over the soup as a garnish when you serve. Leftover soup can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days or freezer for 3 months. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave. The cooked shredded tofu can be stored in a container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a dry skillet over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Only cook as many noodles as you intend to serve. They don't store or reheat well.