Vietnamese Tofu Tomato Soup

I've recently discovered the wonders of preparing tofu Vietnamese style, thanks to Mark Bittman's recipe.  Bittman's dish showcases a wonderful sweet-salty preparation that transforms the simple into the sublime.

If you're on the lookout for a culinary secret weapon, buy a bottle of fish sauce to complete your arsenal.  Both this soup and Bittman's tofu get a punch of umami from a splash of this potent liquid.  While doing some research on Vietnamese cuisine, I found an article by food writer Erin Zimmer who saw how fish sauce was made while exploring Vietnam.  One of her tour guides said, "We like our fish sauce like you like your cheese—pungent."

Looking for more tofu inspiration, I borrowed Asian Tofu from my local library and learned that the combination of tofu and another umami powerhouse, the tomato, is a Vietnamese classic.  Brothy soup, or canh, is a mainstay in this culture; author Andrea Nguyen said her mother would always begin a dinner with canh no matter how hot it was outside.

Nutrition Highlight: Cilantro

Herbs are the show-stoppers of Vietnamese cuisine.  Without their brilliant green color and zingy freshness, Vietnamese food just wouldn't be the same.  Sadly, in America herbs are often an afterthought.  Packed with nutritious compounds and unique flavors, they deserve better than to be relegated to mere garnish status.

Cilantro is loaded with flavonoid anti-oxidants and vitamin K.  One quarter cup (a small handful) provides about 16% of your RDA.  Vitamin K is important for bone health, because calcium can't work properly without it, as explained in this post.

Vitamin K plays a key role in blood coagulation.  Danish biochemist, Dam, uncovered vitamin K's importance; hence K stands for the Danish word koagulering.  The chickens in Dam's experiment experienced internal bleeding due to a diet deficient in vitamin K. 

 Tomatoes can vary so much in size that I find it frustrating when recipes just give suggested quantity and no weights.  What does "one tomato" really mean—just look at the range of weights above!

Vietnamese Tofu Tomato Soup
CANH DAU PHU

Printable Recipe

Tofu and tomato is a classic canh combo because the tomato gives depth and color to this simple soup, while the tofu provides protein and a silky-meaty texture.  The cilantro is essential, while the dill is a pleasant addition, but the soup will still be good if it's absent.  If you hate cilantro, try substituting Italian parsley.

7 oz (1/2 a block) firm tofu
1/2 T olive oil
3.2 oz (1/2 small) yellow onion, finely chopped
8 oz (~1 medium) ripe tomato, coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 T fish sauce
2 c water

1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro

1 T chopped fresh dill (optional)

1. Press the tofu. To do so, remove tofu from its container and wrap in a doubled up linen towel.  Place something semi-heavy on top, such as a toaster, to slowly expel the liquid.  Giving the tofu at least 30 min. will be fine, but longer is even better.  "Pressing" allows the tofu to better absorb other flavors.

2. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook for about 15 minutes until fragrant, soft, and slightly browned, stirring occasionally.  Add tomato, salt, and pepper and cook 6-8 minutes until tomato has collapsed into a thick mass. Stir occasionally so it doesn't burn.

3. While tomato is cooking, cut tofu into 3/4" cubes. 

4. Add fish sauce and water. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for 5-10 min. to concentrate the flavors. If not serving right away, turn off the heat and cover.

5. Stir in the dill &/or cilantro right before serving.

6. Serves 2-3, depending on sides.  Adapted from Asian Tofu.