Tofu and Chinese Chive Buds Soup

Winter is soup time! Here is a simple hearty soup with a chicken and pork broth, cubes of soft tofu and some Chinese chive buds which have a garlickly lovely flavour.


Ingredients
• 200g lean pork shoulder, thinly sliced (marinate with 1 teaspoon fish sauce and some freshly ground pepper for 1 hour)
• 5 cups (1.25 litre) chicken stock
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼  teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• small bunch of Chinese chive buds (around 100g), tough ends trimmed and cut into 2 inch lengths
• 200g soft tofu, cut into cubes

Pork marinated with fish sauce and pepper

Chinese Chive Buds

Method
Combine the pork and chicken stock in a pot and bring to boil. Reduce the heat and skim the surface to remove the foam. Continue skimming until the foam ceases to rise. Simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes. 

Stir in the salt, sugar and 1 tablespoon fish sauce, and simmer for another 5 minutes. 

Turn the heat up to medium-high and add in tofu cubes and cook for 2 minutes, then add in the Chinese chive buds and wait for the soup to come to boil. Taste and check the seasoning, then remove from heat. 


Ladle into soup bowls.