Growing up in an Asian household seaweed was a very common ingredient at home, it was commonly eaten as a snack, on top or rice and just spread over any thing. Not only is it rich in vitamin K but it also tastes amazing, LE FRESH TASTE OF THE OCEAN. Nothing better than the taste of the fresh ocean floor.
Seaweed soup is one of the easiest soups in the world to make! it only takes 5 minutes of work and the rest is just waiting. A LITTLE CULUTRAL LESSON, this dish is most commonly eaten in Korea by women who just had a baby. With seaweed being rich in calcium and iodine, it is great for replenishing all the lost energy and minerals after birth. It is also eaten during Birthdays, commonly with a side of rice and a range of other side dishes.
Seaweed soup commonly consists of well.. seaweed...duh! But people often add in beef, seafood, chicken or any form of meat, even fish cakes! But today I wanted to tweak this recipe a bit to accommodate for a lighter meal, involving the humble tofu.
Ingredients
1/2 Cup Dried Seaweed
2tb Fish Sauce
3 Cloves of Garlic
4 Dried Shiitake Mushroom
300g Silken Tofu
STEPS
Start by pouring out about 1/2 a cup of dried seaweed and about 4 dried shiitake mushrooms into a large bowl. Add in some boiling hot water just to cover them and let them rehydrate.
As they are rehydrating peel and mince up 3 cloves of garlic and set them aside.
Drain and slice your tofu into about 1cm thick slices and set aside.
By now your seaweed should have expanded quite a bit, drain and rinse your seaweed and dried mushrooms.
Roughly chop up your seaweed into bite size pieces and thinly slice your shiitake mushrooms.
In a pot add in your seaweed, mushrooms and garlic as well as about 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
Season the soup with 2tb of fish sauce and salt to taste.
Lastly layer in your tofu and let it simmer away for other 5 minutes.
Serve up with your favorite side dishes and a big bowl of steaming rice and enjoyed on a cold cold day. Feel free to customise this, add in beef, chicken, seafood, whatever you wish. It is yours to customise and make it your own. Happy Cooking
