thai curry soup with silken tofu and herbs

 

Spicy, creamy and herby.  My favorite things. This soup was SO good that my daughter asked what kind of witchcraft it was. :)  My husband declared it Hall of Fame.  We'll be enjoying this one again for sure. 

thai curry soup with silken tofu and herbs (The New York Times Cooking Page-a-Day Calendar)

2 (14 ounce) packages silken tofu, drained

2 tablespoons oil (I used 1 tablespoon)

2 shallots, peeled and minced

3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

1 (1-inch piece ginger, scrubbed and grated)

3 tablespoons red curry paste

1 (14 ounce) container fresh cherry tomatoes

1 quart vegetable stock

1 (13.5 ounce) can full fat coconut milk

salt

1/4 cup soy sauce

freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups mixed fresh herbs such as cilantro, basil and dill (I used cilantro and basil)

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 lime, cut into wedges for squeezing

Pat the tofu blocks dry with a clean paper towel.  Cut each block into 3 slices.

Heat a medium Dutch oven of heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high.  Add the oil and shallots, and stir until softened, 2 minutes.  Add the garlic, ginger and curry paste, stir, and cook until fragrant and the paste turns deep red, 2 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, stir and bring to a simmer.  Simmer until the tomato juices thicken slightly, 4 minutes.

Pour in the vegetable stock, stir, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and simmer to slightly reduce the liquid, 10 minutes.  Stir in the coconut milk, season to taste with salt and remove from the heat.

While the broth is simmering, divide the soft tofu into 6 bowls.  Break each slice into 4-5 pieces.  Season each bowl with 2 teaspoons of soy sauce and a few cracks of black pepper, and top with about 1/4 cup of the fresh herb mix.

Ladle the hot broth and tomatoes over the bowls of silken tofu.  Top with sliced scallions and serve hot, with lime wedges for squeezing.