Bun Rieu Chay (Vegetarian Soy Milk Noodle Soup) Recipe

Method

1. Trim the bases from 150g straw mushroom and rinse them, mincing 50g and halving the other 100g. Soak 5 shiitake mushrooms until soft and mince them. Peel the carrot, daikon radish and chayote and cut into chunks. Cut 3 tomatoes into wedges. Mince the leek.
2. Make the curds. Mash 1 piece of silken tofu, mix it with the minced straw mushroom and shiitake mushroom, add 1 teaspoon vegetarian seasoning powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, and mix thoroughly.
3. Fry 1 tablespoon leek in 2 tablespoons annatto oil until fragrant, add the tofu and mushroom mixture and stir until firm, then turn off the heat.
4. Bring 1.5 liters water to a boil, add the daikon radish, carrot, chayote and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Pour 1 liter soy milk into the pot, bring it to a boil, lower the heat and add 1 tablespoon tamarind water so the milk sets into curds.
6. Once the milk has set, add the cooked curd mixture, the tomatoes, 100g halved straw mushroom and 200g fried tofu. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 2 tablespoons vegetarian seasoning powder.
7. Put the rice vermicelli in bowls, arrange the curds, tofu and tomato on top, scatter over the leek and ladle in the broth. Serve with 100g fresh herbs and greens.

Tips

• Home cooked soy milk curdles far better, as the boxed kind is processed and rarely separates into clouds.
• Tamarind water goes in one spoon at a time, stopping as soon as the milk starts to separate, since too much turns the broth sour.
• Lowering the heat the moment the milk sets and leaving the pot alone for a few minutes keeps the curds whole.
• The kOBE Monk Fruit Blend dissolves slowly, so it goes in earlier than usual with another stir after 5 minutes.
• Annatto oil is what gives the broth its color, and frying it with the leek brings out both the color and the aroma.