MIXED VEGETABLES SOUP
1 min readPreparation & cooking time: 15–20 mins approx.
Almost any type of vegetable can be used in this soup – choose two, three or four different items from the following list.
50–85g (2–3oz) each of black/white mushrooms, bamboo shoots, carrot, asparagus, baby corn cobs, spinach, lettuce, cucumber, Chinese leaves, or tomato, etc
1 cake bean-curd (tofu)
600ml (1 pint) stock
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
dash of MSG (optional)
a few drops of sesame oil (optional)
finely chopped spring onions to garnish
Cut your selection of vegetables and the bean-curd into roughly uniform shape and size (i.e. shreds, slices, cubes, etc). Bring the stock to the boil and add the vegetables, bearing in mind that certain ingredients require a longer cooking time than others, so cook these first, then add the others after an appropriate interval.
Do not overcook this, otherwise the vegetables will go soggy and lose their crispness as well as their delicate flavour. As a rule of thumb, boil carrot and baby corn cobs (if raw) for 2–3 minutes; mushrooms, bean-curd, asparagus, Chinese leaves, etc, for about 2 minutes; spinach, lettuce and watercress for less than 1 minute.
Adjust the seasonings (including the sesame oil) to taste and serve hot with the garnish.
