Nilaga is a filipino dish which literally means "Boil" and it's traditionally made with any type of meat and vegetables. I love eating this dish with rice, especially on an a cold rainy day. My version of this dish is made with tofu and vegetables, but it is just as comforting and satisfying in any type of season.
Ingredients 1/4 of a medium onion, sliced 3 stalks of scallions or green onion, cut in 2-3 inch length 2 of the 32 oz boxes of vegetable broth 8 small or 3 cups of red potato, quartered 1 cup of green beans, cut in half 2 stalks of celery, sliced diagonally 1 small napa or chinese cabbage, stem side cut, sliced into 2 to 3 inch pieces 2 carrots, sliced 2 pkgs of extra firm tofu, 1 inch cube 1/2 tsp garlic powder salt and pepper to taste
1. In a large cooking pot, place the onion, scallions, vegetable broth and potatoes. Give it a good stir and cover it with a lid then cook it on med-high heat for about 10 minutes. 2. Lower the heat to medium-low, then add the green beans and celery. Give it a stir and cover it with a lid then simmer it for about 5 minutes. 3. Add the napa cabbage, vegetable broth and carrots. Cover it with a lid and cook it for another 5 minutes. 4. Add the rest of the vegetable broth, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste, give it a stir, cover it with a lid and bring it to a boil. 5. Turn off the heat. Mix in the cooked tofu and give it a final stir. Serve it with rice and enjoy.
Monggo or Mung Bean Soup is a filipino dish that is eaten with rice and sometimes paired with fried fish. Mung beans is primarily cultivated in some parts of southeast asia. It is small, has a greenish color and is dried up for longer shelf life. It is also made into a sweet or savory dish. In this video, I'm showing you my vegan version of this dish by substituting meat and with tofu for a healthier alternative to the traditional monggo.
Monggo (Mung) Soup - Vegan Style
Ingredients:
4 to 5 cups of water 1 cup of mung beans 1 to 2 pkgs of extra firm tofu 1 box of vegetable broth 6 cloves of garlic, minced 1/2 of a medium onion, chopped 1 stalk of celery, diced 1 carrots, diced 2 cups or 6 to 8 roma tomatoes, diced 3 to 6 bunches of bok choy
1. Boil 4 to 5 cups of water in a large cooking pot, cover it with a lid and turn the heat on high. 2. Add 1 cup of mung beans into the boilng water, cover with a lid and simmer it for about 25-30. *Make sure to rinse beans before cooking it. 3. After the beans had finished cooking, give it a good stir and set it aside. Check to make sure that the beans are soft enough to eat. 4. Next, cook, sear or fry the tofu on a fry pan and set it aside. (How to pan sear tofu without oil - http://youtu.be/u9n_30hpKEg) 5. Add 1/4 cup of vegetable broth on a pan and add the garlic, onion, celery, carrots and tomato, then give it a good stir. Cook it for about 15 minutes. 6. Add the tomato mixture to the cooked mung beans and pour the rest of the vegetable broth into the pot. Add salt and pepper to taste then give it a good stir. 7. Place the bok choy on top and cover with a lid without stirring then smimmer it for about 5 minute. 8. Finally add the cooked tofu, give it a good stir and turn off the heat.
When I came up with this recipe, I've been searching for something different. I usually look at other recipes for inspirations and then I make my own version with vegetable, spices or herbs that I'm familiar with. Most of the ones I've seen has the same soup base that I been cooking before but just a different vegetable and everything else are pretty much similar. On top of that, my husband wanted me to incorporate one of his favorite vegetable which is the bok choy. Finally, I found a recipe that most of the ingredients I pretty much have but it was very simple and boring. And in my mind's tastebuds, I wasn't sure if this was the dish I was cooking for dinner. So after rummaging through my fridge, I found some other stuff that I can add to this recipe including the bok choy.
After I've finished cooking, I was still not convinced that it was up to my par. So my husband tried it and what he discovered was, by adding some soy sauce to this dish was actually the missing ingredient. I totally agree and after having a bowl of it, I cannot believe that I got something good. So here it is and I'm sharing to all of you my soon to be famous (yeah right!?!) Cauliflower Soup with Bok Choy, Beans & Tofu. Enjoy!!!
Ingredients:
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1/2 of a medium yellow onion, sliced
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 32oz or 4 cups of vegetable broth
1 head of cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces
6 bunches of bok choy, stem side cut
2 16oz cans white beans, rinsed & drained
1 pkg of extra firm tofu, 1" cubed
1 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Turn the heat on high and cook the garlic, onion & tomatoes until onion is translucent or when the juices are starting to dry up, then pour 4 cups of vegetable broth and cover with a lid, and cook for 5 minutes. ***NO cooking oil used on this recipe because the tomatoes will render some juices, but it's optional or depending on your preference.***
2. Add the cauliflower and give it a good stir. Lower the heat to medium and cover with a lid then cook for another 5 minutes.
3. Place the boy choy on top while the heat of the broth will help it wilt then cover it with a lid, and cook for another 5 minutes.
4. After 5 minutes, remove the lid and give it a good stir before adding the beans, tofu, salt & pepper then give it a good stir and cook it for 5 another minutes.
5. Turn of the heat and serve.
Tip: By adding 1 tbsp of low sodium soy sauce for each serving bowl will enhance the flavor of the dish.
If you'd like to be notified for new videos, please Subscribe to http://www.youtube.com/axillescorner or follow me on Twitter @axillescorner.
