Hot and Sour Soup

Serves 4-6
Total cooking/prep time: 35 minutes


‎2 Tsp Sesame oil

3 large mushrooms, diced

4 cups water

1 cube bullion

2 stalks celery, diced

3 small carrots, diced

1/3 brick firm tofu, diced

1/2 medium apple, diced

2 teaspoons soya sauce

5tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tsp sugar

Dash of salt

2 stalks bock choy, coarsely chopped

2 stalks green onion, coarsely chopped

1/3 brick soft tofu

1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch

1 tsp cayenne

1/4 cup coconut milk

Dash of ground pepper

Fry sesame oil and mushrooms in a medium pot. Add 4 cups of water and the cube of bullion and bring to a boil. Add celery, carrots, firm tofu, and apple and boil for a few minutes. Mix together soya sauce, vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl. Add to soup. Mix cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water and add to soup. Reduce heat to medium. Break apart (scramble) soft tofu with a fork and add to soup. Then add coconut milk and cayenne and let juices mix for a couple minutes. Add pepper and serve.

Loosely adapted from a recipe found here.

Week 1: "Chinese"/"What We Think Chinese Food Is"

Ingredients we needed to buy*:
Apples, wine vinegar, corn starch, marmalade, carrots, orange juice concentrate, bok choy, green onion, garlic, celery, tofu (one firm, one soft), bean sprouts, 3 bell peppers, mushrooms, cabbage.
Cost: $37.53

So, here's on the hit list for the week:
-Mandarin Seitan
-Hot and Sour Soup
-Sesame Tofu
-Singapore Noodles
-Steamed Buns
-Cabbage Salad
-Fried Rice


*This assumes you own basic ingredients such as salt, soy sauce, sugar, rice etc...