Ginger Infused Thai Coconut Soup

Heaven, 100% pure heaven in a bowl!!  That's how I am describing this soup.  It is amazingly delicious, warm, comforting, flavorful, bright and just plain yummy. The crispy tofu blew me away and added so much flavor- do not omit the tofu!!!! I marinated it for hours before I pan fried it so it added a lot of seasoning to the soup.

This meal was so fast to prepare.  Monday nights are my hard nights because all the kids have activities after school and I don't have a lot of time to make a fancy dinner.  I took this easy recipe and made it even easier by using pre-chopped onions from the produce department and pre-cooked frozen brown rice. I even found tofu that was already cubed!!!! My supermarket didn't have lemongrass, so I substituted it with lemon zest from one whole lemon - it was perfect.

This made enough for two adults to have a very satisfying meal.  It would be more of a side dish for four or more people.

Thank you to the blog Sobremesa for this amazing recipe. Here it is verbatim:

 2 tsp coconut oil, divided
1 package of extra firm tofu (I used already cubed tofu to save time)
¼ cup tamari or soy sauce
1 tbsp agave (I never use agave - substitute pure maple syrup or honey)
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 yellow onion, diced (I used pre-chopped onions to save time)
2 carrots, peeled and chopped into thin coins
1 bunch scallions, chopped and divided into two piles
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
1 stalk lemongrass, leave whole and cut an x in the bottom of the root end (this will help release the lemongrass flavor) (I used the zest from one whole lemon)
3 cups vegetable broth
1 can full fat coconut milk
zest and juice on 1 lime

cilantro, chopped
peanuts, crushed
4 cups cooked rice (I used pre-cooked frozen rice)

Cut tofu into cubes and place them in a medium sized bowl. Mix tamari, agave, and sesame oil together in a small bowl. In a large dutch oven or soup pot heat 1 tsp coconut oil over medium heat. Pour tamari mixture over cubed tofu and toss to make sure each piece is evenly coated.

Add tofu to the hot pan and brown on all sides, about 15 minutes. Remove the tofu from the pan and set aside.

Heat the remaining 1 tsp coconut oil. Add onion and carrot and cook until soft and fragrant. Add half of the chopped scallions (reserve the rest for garnish), garlic, ginger, and lemongrass. Cook for 2-3 minutes until very fragrant. Add the stock and coconut milk and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.

Remove lemongrass from pan and toss it. Season the soup broth with salt and pepper to taste and add the lime zest and juice.  Place a serving of rice in each bowl, pour the soup broth over the rice, and top with tofu, scallions, cilantro, and peanuts. Enjoy!