Vegetarian Herbal Soup [Bak Kut Teh]

Vegetarian Bak Kut Teh is definitely different from the actual meaty Bak Kut Teh.  It isn't oily at all without the meats.  However, the soup is very aromatic with all the herbs.  My hubby asked why I cooked 'Bak Kut Teh' when I'm on vegetarian diet.  This is an indication that the soup is very fragrant and herbally, hehehe!  Can drink it without the 'sinful' factor.

This soup was served with Vegetarian Savoury Rice with White Beans.

Ingredients

[serves 8-10]

original recipe from Yum Yum magazine No. 77 with some modifications

Herbal Soup Ingredients

1 tsp white peppercorns - washed, lightly crushed

5 gm dang gui

3 gm chuan xiong

2 star anise

10 gm cinnamon stick

12 gm yuk zhu

3-4 pieces licorice roots [gan cao]

2 litres water

Seasoning

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vegetarian msg or mushroom seasoning granules

1 tbsp each of light soy sauce and vegetarian oyster sauce

1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 piece black fungus - soaked and break into small pieces

1 piece gluten roll - cut or break into bite size pieces

5-6 dried mushrooms - soaked, drained and sliced [can use 1 tin button mushrooms]

2 packets fresh enoki mushrooms - cut off the roots, washed

2 pieces sweet bean curd - cut and fried until golden [can replaced with 10 tofu puffs]

100 gm dried bean curd sticks, soaked and cut into short lengths

1. Place white peppercorns, dang gui and chuan xiong in a soup bag, tied up. Place soup bag and the rest of the herbal ingredients in a soup pot.  Add in water.  Bring to a boil for 10-15 minutes until the soup is aromatic.
2. Add in seasoning ingredients, black fungus, gluten roll, dried mushrooms.  Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Add in the remaining ingredients and continue to boil for a further 5-10 minutes.
4. Taste to adjust seasoning.  Serve soup hot with lettuce leaves and some chopped coriander leaves.
   
   
   

Notes: You may use the ready mix bak kut teh soup bag to replace the herbal ingredients.    You may also use any kind of fresh mushrooms to replace the above mushrooms.

Notes: Visit this site for its Nutritional Facts [here]

I'm linking this post to Cook Your Books #5 Event

 hosted by Joyce of  Kitchen Flavours

I'm also linking this post  to Little Thumbs Up Event - Soy Beans
 organised by Doreen from my little favourite DIY and me, Bake for Happy Kids, hosted by Mich from Piece of Cake