Tom Yum Soup with Zucchini Noodles

Ingredients:

1 medium-sized zucchini, spiralized
¼ cup mushrooms, quartered (Bella mushrooms can be used)
¼ cup tomatoes, preferably grape tomatoes
4 oz [100g] firm tofu, pressed and cut into your desired shape
1 stalk lemongrass (white part only), thinly sliced
3 slices galangal
5 lime leaves
3 teaspoons red chili paste/sambal
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 Thai chili, chopped
2 cups [475ml] vegetable broth or homemade stock
1 teaspoon coconut sugar
Juice from 2 limes
½ cup [125ml] coconut milk, or more for a creamier version
Cooking oil
Salt to taste
Garnishes:

Chili oil
Sliced red onions or shallots
Fried shallots
Chopped cilantro
Lime wedges
Instructions:

Cut the tofu into your desired shape. In a heated non-stick pan with a drizzle of oil, pan-fry the tofu until it’s golden brown on both sides. Season with a pinch of salt and set it aside.

Use the back of a knife to pound the lemongrass a few times to release its flavor, then slice it thinly.

In a heated non-stick pan with 3 teaspoons of oil, sauté the lemongrass, lime leaves, and galangal until they become fragrant.

Stir in the red chili paste/sambal, fish sauce, chopped chili, and vegetable broth. Allow the mixture to simmer over low-medium heat for 5 minutes, covered.

Meanwhile, spiralize the zucchini into noodles and set them aside.

Remove the lemongrass, galangal, and lime leaves from the soup if desired. Once the soup has reduced slightly, add the mushrooms, tomatoes, and tofu. Season the soup with lime juice and coconut sugar to taste.

Add in the coconut milk and gently place the zucchini noodles into the soup. Alternatively, you can ladle the hot soup over the spiralized zucchini to retain its crunchy texture.

Garnish the soup with a swirl of chili oil, sliced red onions or shallots, fried shallots, and lime wedges before serving.

Notes:

If you prefer a non-vegan version of this recipe, you can use fish sauce instead of vegan ‘fish’ sauce, and regular cooking oil instead of vegan oil. The rest of the instructions remain the same.