Chinese Soup: Tofu with Kelp Soup

When I was young, mom used to make delicious Chinese soup for every day meal which is clear, not thick or brothy at all.

Most of her Chinese soup was light, clear and comforting that soothes anyone who was losing appetite or sick over mild illness ( fever, cough, diarrhea, etc).

I am a fan of soybean ingredients; be it beancurds, solf silken tofu, soy bean milk, bean curd sheets, bean curd sticks, firm pressed tofu and tau-hu pok ( puffed tofu).

How mom makes Silken Tofu Soup with Kelp

Mom knew that I preferred soft silken tofu in my soups, so she had added kelps and red dates with chicken bones to induce the natural chicken soup flavor.

She didn’t use any chicken stock cubes which she believed that is not the natural ( original) chicken flavor.

Hence, she would always bring to boil the chicken bones in advance, remove them, before adding the strips of kelps which is part of the seaweed family.

Red dates are briefly washed, cut into halves, seeds removed, toss into the soup to bring out the natural sweetness without adding any sugar.

A tub of silken tofu is cut into cubes before adding into the soup during last 10 minutes .

Silken tofu is known to break easily if over boil in the soup.

Furthermore, silken tofu cooked easily in minutes, unlike firm tofus.

Reasons to include Kelps into your soup

For your information, kelp is a seaweed, a marine plant that grows in shallow salt water, basically in the sea.

The color of kelps differs slightly in color, you can buy dark brown, dark green or sandy green color .

It is usually sold in the market in dried form, thick and rectangular shapes.

Kelps are highly nutritious and helpful in treating:

-stress

-enlargement of thyroid gland

-helps to fight against chronic cardiovascular diesease

How to prepare kelp

Firstly, cut dried kelps into long strips and squares. However, it is wise to cut kelp into smaller pieces as it takes a longer time to cook the algae plant.

Then, soak the kelp in warm water in order to soften the texture.

Adding kelp into soups make a delicious flavored seaweed soup that goes well with tofu.

Silken Tofu Soup with Kelp Recipe

Ingredients

– 1 large piece of kelp

– 1 tub of silken soft tofu

– 6 pieces of dried red dates-cut into halves-soaked in water

– chicken bones

– salt and pepper

– water

Method of making

• Cut kelp into long strips, rought 1 inch wide
• Soak the kelps into warm water to soften them
• Remove the silken soft tofu from the tub. Cut the tofu into large cubes
• Cut and soak red dates into warm water to soften them.
• Bring 1/2 pot of water to boil with chicken bones for 30min-1 hr.
• Remove the excess chicken greyish pulps on the surface of the soup.
• Remove the chicken bones.
• Toss in the soaked kelps and red dates.
• Further boil for another 20min.
• Season with salt and pepper before adding in the silken tofu cubes.
• After 5 min, turn off heat.
• Garnish with chopped spring onions or dash of white pepper before serving into individual bowl.

A wonderful side dish to warm up your tummy on cold weather

More soup recipes to share

Tang Yuan Soup

Bok Choy and Tofu Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup

photo taken by peachpurple

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