When you have good quality broth in stock, making soup is both a breeze and a joy. This very hearty yet meatless soup took a mere 10 minutes to cook, the ingredients prepared while the broth was being reheated.
The secret is in the layering of flavors. While the broth is already seasoned and flavored with the vegetables that went into its making, more flavors and seasonings are added as the soup takes its form. Start by sweating garlic and shallot, add the mushrooms and vegetables, pour in the seasoned soup, add more seasonings as needed and, finally, serve with a whole egg, toasted garlic bits and crisp onion slices for color, texture and that extra oomph.
- 4 to 6 cups bone broth , preferably homemade
- 4 to 6 shiitake mushrooms , caps only (if using dried, see tips on rehydrating)
- 1 small a small carrot
- 1/2 head small cauliflower
- 1/2 head small broccoli
- 4 heaping tablespoons corn kernels (I used canned)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 shallot
- 1 tablespoons cooking oil
- patis (fish sauce) to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons tapioca starch or corn starch dispersed in 2 tablespoons of water
- 2 to 4 whole eggs (depending on how many servings you’re making), at room temperature
- toasted garlic bits
- fried shallots
- sesame seed oil
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Start by heating your broth and bringing it to the boil. That will take several minutes so get on with the rest of the work.
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Mince the garlic. Finely slice the shallot.
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Heat the cooking oil in a pot. Over medium-low heat, cook the garlic and shallot until softened. This will take about five minutes with occasional stirring. Use that time to prepare the rest of the ingredients.
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Roughly chop the shiitake mushrooms and carrot. Cut the cauliflower and broccoli into very small pieces.
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Add the mushrooms, carrot, cauliflower, broccoli and corn into the pot with garlic and shallot. Turn up the heat and cook for a minute.
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Pour in the boiling broth. Taste and add fish sauce, sugar and pepper, as necessary.
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Allow the mixture to start to boil. Pour in the starch solution. Let boil for a minute or until thickened a bit. Taste the soup once more and adjust the seasonings, as needed.
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Crack the whole eggs into soup bowls. One egg per bowl. Ladle the boiling soup over the egg. The boiling soup will start cooking the egg instantly so don’t worry about raw egg and salmonella.
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Sprinkle the soup with toasted garlic bits and fried shallots. Drizzle with a little sesame seed oil. Serve hot.
