A Big Bowl of Spicy Tofu Soup

Recently in San Francisco, California, I ate my first bowl of fluffy soft tofu soup at My Tofu House  (Geary near 10th Ave. and might i add that there’s a wonderful Korean grocery next door with a selection of kimchee, homemade take-out fried chicken (sweetly glazed), uber-savoury green vegetable pancakes, and more…..)

Anyhow, flash-back to me in a booth sitting at the table, faced with warm spicy aromas and a bowlful of fluffy tofu.  I lifted my spoon.  It was one of those transcendental moments when you discover a new love; one mouthful was all it took to fall  deeply under its spell.

Though I had lived in the area for years long ago, and though I had always noticed the restaurant with the rather cozy name (I do love tofu),  I had never been there.  And then I moved away.

But on a recent visit, romping through the Russian shops and bakeries in the Richmond area of The City with food blogger Amy Sherman, we passed by My Tofu House.  Amy was running a delicious commentary of places along our way: what was not to be missed, what was best to avoid, places she hadn’t been but always meant to, new places to discover. We had spent the morning in Russian, on Geary, with a group of food bloggers including the inimitable Faith Kramer of The Jewish Chronicle, eating poppyseed babka; now were now headed to Berkeley for Indian spice shopping. As we passed My Tofu House,  Amy said: “I love this place; go when you have a chance. Get the soft tofu soup, and get it spicy”.

So a few weeks later, back in the neighbourhood, I did. The menu is divided simply, savoury vegetable pancakes and bulgogi are there, but basically its about the soft tofu soup–a good third of the menu is devoted to it. Choose your variation: with meat, fish, chicken, vegetable, or dumplings, then specify your chosen heat level.

A parade of banchan appeared included several types of kimchee, pickled cucumbers,  bean sprouts, a lovely grilled chewy fish, and the server did a sort of ballet scooping out the rice from its stoneware cooking pot. And its all great. But when you come to the soup:  I think you’ll agree: the GREATEST.

A sizzling hot stone bowl of deeply spicy broth/consommee, thick with broken up soft tofu, and studded with tiny bits of meat, as well as rice cakes and a few meat-filled dumplings. Its like a treasure trove of goodies in an ocean of spice-hot and temperature-hot chile broth.

Back home in a Korean-restaurant-desert in UK, I have been longing for that soup. So when I got home from water aerobics, and yoga, and a long long walk, feeling righteously hungry, I whipped up the following soup with what I had on hand. Its not the same as My Tofu House, but its MY tofu soup, in my house, and its delicious. It doesn’t taste Korean, it tastes Marlena!

A Big Bowl of Spicy Tofu Soup

Serves 1 very hungry Marlena; can be multiplied as desired

2-3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped or thinly sliced

1-2 teaspoons sesame oil

About 1 teaspoon paprika (not the spicy kind, but a bit smoky is okay, is in fact, good)

about 2-3 baby bak choy’s, cut into bite sized pieces

1 1/2-2 cups chicken broth

1 heaping tablespoon hot bean sauce

1 green onion, thinly sliced

3 dumplings, such as won tons, cut into halves, or small handful (about 7) soaked rice cakes

About 6 oz/ 200g tofu (soft, or firm, as you like), broken into various sizes and shapes, from small to big-bite

About 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Drop of vinegar

In a saucepan warm the garlic in a teaspoon of the sesame oil until softened, then add the paprika, stir around, and the bok choy pieces, and stir around until the greens wilt; do not let the paprika scorch or burn; add the chicken broth/stock.

Cook a few minutes, then add the hot bean sauce, green onion, dumplings and tofu; cook a minute or two over medium high heat, to warm through (and to cook the dumplings) then remove from heat, sprinkle with the cilantro and a drop or two of vinegar, a drizzle of a little of the leftover sesame oil

Ladle into a big bowl and enjoy.