Tofu Hot and Sour Soup- Thai Style

Thai Style Hot and Sour Soup is a recipe signaled at our house by fresh watercress at the market. I always jump on making this incredible, fragrant, and warming soup then. The combination of tangy, floral, sweet, and savory flavors is truly mouth-watering.

The soup from our local Thai food truck that inspired this recipe is fiendishly hot. However, I have tailored this hot and sour soup so that no one will miss out.

It's served with fresh Thai chili and vegan fish sauce on the side so everyone can enjoy this fabulous traditional Thai soup exactly to taste.

Jump to:

• Thai seasonings
• Making the broth
• Soup Ingredients
• What can I substitute?
• More International recipes
• 📖 Recipe

Thai seasonings

• Makrut Lime Leaf - You may know this unique seasoning by the name kaffir lime. I prefer to use makrut or Thai lime out of cultural sensitivity. Modern Farmer has an easy-to-understand explanation of why the word kaffir is hurtful and offensive. Botanically it is citrus hystrix and has an intense flavor to its leaves and rind.
• Galangal - Is a cousin to ordinary ginger. However, like makrut lime, it is so unique that there just isn't any substitute. It's floral and very spicy. One way to tell galangal from ginger is the mature roots are fibrous and harder to slice than common ginger. Take a little bite, and no doubt its perfume and lingering heat will impress you.
• Vegan Fish Sauce - More and more grocers are stocking fish sauce alternatives for vegetarians. If you want the best though, try my Vegan Fish Sauce recipe. It has a deep, rich flavor and no artificial additives.
• Chili Flakes - Use more or less to your taste, and any variety will do.
• Lemongrass - Choose fresh lemongrass. While dried lemongrass makes a nice tea, it won't have the impact or delicacy that makes Thai dishes so fragrant and mouthwatering.
• Coconut Sugar - Coconut sugar has the advantage of being less processed than refined brown sugar and has a natural dark caramel flavor.
• Tamarind Paste - Tamarind paste is naturally sweet and sour with its own characteristic taste. A little goes a long way. You'll be glad to have a block on hand if you like to make recipes from many regions around the world. India, Mexico, Malaysia, China, and the Philippines are just a few of the places besides Thailand where you'll find tamarind in exquisite dishes. Select whole "seedless" tamarind sold in blocks. If you use the sort of tamarind puree or concentrate sold in jars, you'll want to use half the amount and add more to taste.

Making the broth

Want a pro tip on preparing lemongrass? Smash the bulb end of the stalk before chopping the rest coarsely. This releases natural oils to add more flavor.

The rest of the broth ingredients are prepped quickly. Simply tear makrut lime leaves in half, slice galangal thin, coarsely chop onion, and add to a pot with remaining broth ingredients.

Soup Ingredients

It is a little ironic that watercress is the one ingredient in this recipe that I have a hard time getting hold of. That's because fresh Thai seasonings are common right where I live but watercress is seasonal.

Do you have watercress where you live? I am guessing it may be easier to find than the fresh makrut lime leaves or galangal that grow in our community garden.

I hope those of you not living in Asia will be able to find the spices you need in farmers' markets or ethnic markets in your area.

What can I substitute?

To make this delicious soup at its best, you'll need to know which ingredients you can substitute successfully and which you can't.

No substitute

In my book, makrut lime, galangal, lemongrass, and tamarind have no substitutes. They are remarkable seasonings and worth seeking out. Thus, as you can guess, they can't be swapped out or replaced in this recipe.

Peppery watercress and sweet juicy tomatoes are vegetables you won't want to change.

Variations that work

King oyster mushrooms have a marvelous meaty texture, but you can use whatever type of mushroom you have available.

Likewise, you can substitute other brown sugars for coconut sugar and your onions can be white, red, or yellow.

The tofu you select can be any grade from medium to extra-firm as long as it's not silken type.

If you aren't able to find or make vegan fish sauce, you can substitute soy sauce with a little toasted sesame oil added to it. Try ⅛ teaspoon of sesame oil for every tablespoon of soy sauce. It won't be the same or quite as good, but this combination provides a different flavor that is tasty on its own.

I am excited for you to try my Thai Style Hot and Sour Soup. Just wait until you bite into its plump tofu, chewy mushrooms, and juicy vegetables. Let me know what ingredients are common to where you live and how many you were able to find.

More International recipes

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