Tag: asian

Vegetarian Korean spicy beef-style soup (yuk gae jang)

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I love traditional yuk gae jang, which relies heavily on beef, and searched for a plant-based version that would still taste authentic. We tried this recipe by Chef Seonkyoung Longest: https://seonkyounglongest.com/vegan-yukgaejang/ This soup tasted remarkably similar in flavor to genuine yuk gae jang. We followed the broth recipe instructions exactly, but we tweaked other parts… Continue reading Vegetarian Korean spicy beef-style soup (yuk gae jang)

Vietnamese daikon, tofu, and chayote soup (canh bau)

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We had daikon, firm tofu, and chayote squash on hand, so we tried this plant-forward recipe: https://web.archive.org/web/20240521065002/https://viceatsworld.com/vietnamese-canh-bau-opo-squash-soup/. Its flavors are surprisingly complex and delicious, and the soup comes together very quickly. It makes a great weeknight meal. Our modifications: first, we often use chayote squash in lieu of opo squash (aka bottle gourd). They are… Continue reading Vietnamese daikon, tofu, and chayote soup (canh bau)

Simple broth for frozen dumplings

This post is more of a shortcut method than an actual recipe. We made a simple lunch from frozen dumplings (purchased from a local dumpling shop). For the broth, we combined 6 cups water, about 1 Tbsp Better Than Bouillon chicken flavor, 1 Tbsp yondu seasoning (Korean vegetarian liquid seasoning), and 1 Tbsp Korean soup…… Continue reading Simple broth for frozen dumplings

Cucumber dill salad

We recently hosted a brunch featuring heavily seasoned dishes (kedgeree and Jamaican jerk chicken). We wanted a refreshing, minimally seasoned healthy side dish to complement these flavors, so we made this: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/cucumber_salad/. We used 6 Persian cucumbers (diced, skin on), 2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill, 3 Tbsp Marukan rice vinegar (green label), and a dash…… Continue reading Cucumber dill salad

Korean spicy shiitake mushroom and daikon soup

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This is a plant-forward riff on a Korean spicy beef and daikon soup that had been a family favorite. You will need two pots for this recipe: one for the mushroom-kombu stock, and another for the soup. First, in a medium soup pot, heat 10 cups of water with 10 dried shiitake mushrooms and an… Continue reading Korean spicy shiitake mushroom and daikon soup

Ma po tofu with minced chicken

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I grew up eating the pork version of this dish at Chinese restaurants, and every once in a while my mother made this at home from a ma po seasoning packet. Back in 2014, I decided to try a scratch recipe from Andrea Nguyen's Asian Tofu cookbook. Over time, I tweaked her ma po tofu… Continue reading Ma po tofu with minced chicken

Chinese seaweed salad

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I tried this recipe to repurpose kombu seaweed that we had simmered to flavor a vegetarian Korean soup base: https://omnivorescookbook.com/chinese-seaweed-salad/ Our modifications: for the hot chili oil, we used 1.5 Tbsp corn oil and 1/2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns (which we ground by hand). We garnished with part of a chopped Thai bird's eye chili. This… Continue reading Chinese seaweed salad

Chinese-style chicken meatball soup with napa cabbage

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We found this soup very frustrating to make, even if it ultimately came out well: https://omnivorescookbook.com/napa-cabbage-soup/ This recipe called for only 3 cups of liquid. We ultimately had to increase to 9 cups of liquid (8 cups unsalted chicken stock plus 1 cup water). We sauteed about 2 Tbsp bacon, then added 4 cups broth.… Continue reading Chinese-style chicken meatball soup with napa cabbage