Tom Yum

“Tom Yum”, page 153, is a type of hot and sour Thai soup. The base is a lemongrass flavored broth, further enhanced with the bold flavors of onion, ginger, Nothin’ FishyNam Pla (vegan fish sauce from this book, see my previous post) and chili paste. After a short simmer, the broth is strained and the solids discarded. To this very flavorful brew you add tofu, green onions, fresh tomatoes, straw mushrooms, baby peas, cilantro, and lime juice. Depending on how spicy you like your soups, and to me, this soup begs for a good spice up, you can add additional chili paste to the final mix. I added another tablespoon, and possibly it could have handled more. I loved this soup, it was elementally satisfying, healthy, and according to the recipe notes, a surefire cure for a cold. I also appreciate that this recipe is oil free as written, and no changes were necessary to keep it McDougall compliant.

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” check list:

• No changes necessary! J (If you do use broth instead of water as part of the soup base, just make sure it is oil free.)