Vegetarian pumpkin soup is a light, delicious, and nutritious dish that can be used as a breakfast option or as an appetizer for vegetarian parties. Let’s get cooking with TasteVN and learn this vegetarian dish with 2 very simple cooking methods!
1. Vegetarian pumpkin soup with seaweed
Preparation
15 minutes
Cooking
40 minutes
Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Vegetarian pumpkin soup with seaweed Serves 4
Pumpkin 300 gr (1 large) Soft tofu 100 gr Dried seaweed 5 gr Cilantro 4 sprigs Vegetarian seasoning 1/2 tablespoon Sugar 1/3 tablespoon Vegetarian fish sauce 1 tablespoon Salt/Pepper a little
Information about seaweed and how to choose it
- Seaweed is a type of plant that lives in the sea, belonging to the group of multicellular algae but not sharing the same origin as brown, red, and green algae.
- Seaweed is also known as kombu, available in various colors such as red, dark brown, and green.
- You should buy seaweed at stores specializing in Korean or Japanese products, reputable supermarkets, or you can also order it on e-commerce platforms.
Tools needed
Pot, knife, cutting board, blender, bowl,…
How to make Vegetarian Pumpkin Soup with Seaweed
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Prepare the ingredients
Peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds, wash it clean, and cut it into small slices.
To ensure that the seaweed expands evenly and to eliminate any fishy smell, after purchasing, place the seaweed in a basin, add 200ml of cold water and 4 slices of ginger, and soak for about 20 – 30 minutes until the seaweed softens.
Rinse the seaweed thoroughly with water, drain, and then cut it into small pieces.
How to clean dried seaweed without fishy smell- Using salt: After soaking until soft, rinse the seaweed with water, squeeze to remove excess water, then add salt and gently massage for about 1 – 2 minutes, then rinse again with clean water. The salt will help reduce the fishy smell and remove some of the slime from the seaweed.
- Using fresh ginger: In addition to salt, after soaking the seaweed until soft, you can also massage it with minced ginger for 15 – 20 minutes until it softens, then rinse and prepare for cooking.
- Eliminating fishy smell with vinegar: Vinegar is also one of the very useful condiments in eliminating the fishy smell of seaweed. You can add vinegar directly to the soaking water and soak for about 10 -15 minutes, then rinse again with cold water.
- Marinating with sesame oil: Another very simple method is to chop the cleaned seaweed into small pieces and marinate it with salt, seasoning powder, and sesame oil before cooking. This method will enhance the flavor of the seaweed and reduce its natural pungent and fishy smell.
Tofu is rinsed with water, then cut in half with a knife and continuously chopped into square pieces about the size of a large finger. Wash the scallions and chop them finely.
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Boil the pumpkin
Place a pot on the stove, add the chopped pumpkin, and then pour in 1 liter of water to cover the pumpkin. Cover the pot and boil over medium heat until the pumpkin is fully cooked and soft.
Tip: You can check the doneness of the pumpkin by taking a small piece from the pot and tasting it.After the pumpkin is cooked, pour the entire mixture of pumpkin and cooking water into a blender and blend until smooth.
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Complete the soup
Pour the blended pumpkin mixture back into the pot, turn the heat to medium and cook until the pumpkin broth boils. Next, add the chopped seaweed, and continue cooking until the soup boils again.
Then, add the soft tofu, 1/2 tablespoon of vegetarian seasoning, 1/3 tablespoon of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of vegetarian fish sauce, stir well, and cook for about 3 more minutes.
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Final product
Scoop the pumpkin soup into a bowl, sprinkle a little chopped cilantro and ground pepper on top, and decorate for a beautiful presentation to finish.
The finished vegetarian pumpkin soup with seaweed has a beautiful bright yellow color. The soup is smooth and has a sweet, rich flavor of pumpkin, the crunchiness of seaweed, and the creamy texture of tofu that is incredibly appealing. Get into the kitchen and show off your skills now!
2. Vegetarian Pumpkin Mushroom Soup
Preparation
15 minutes
Cooking
40 minutes
Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Vegetarian Pumpkin Mushroom Soup Serves 4
Pumpkin 200 gr (1/2 fruit) Oyster mushrooms 200 gr Tofu 100 gr Green onions 3 sprigs Cilantro 2 sprigs Cooking oil 1 tablespoon Sugar 1 tablespoon Vegetarian seasoning 1 tablespoon Fish sauce 1 tablespoon Salt a little
How to choose fresh and delicious oyster mushrooms
- To make the dish appealing, you should choose mushrooms with thick, firm stems that feel sturdy.
- Additionally, good oyster mushrooms will have natural colors (white or gray), not too dark or too light.
- Fresh mushrooms should be intact, not bruised or broken, with a natural aroma and no unpleasant smell.
Tools needed
Pot, knife, cutting board, blender, bowl,…
How to prepare Vegetarian Pumpkin Mushroom Soup
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Prepare the ingredients
Buy pumpkin, peel it, remove the seeds, and wash it several times with water, then drain. Use a knife to cut the pumpkin into 4 pieces and then cut it into small bite-sized pieces about the thickness of a finger.
For oyster mushrooms, tear larger mushroom caps into 4 or 6 pieces and then chop them finely with a knife.
How to clean oyster mushrooms quickly and effectively- When you buy oyster mushrooms, you can use a knife to remove the dirty part of the mushroom stem. Then, use your hands to tear or break the mushrooms into smaller pieces for easier eating (especially for larger mushrooms).
- To clean oyster mushrooms, soak them in diluted saltwater for 10 minutes, then remove and rinse them thoroughly with water, squeeze dry, and let drain.
- Alternatively, you can soak them in diluted lemon juice for about 10 minutes, then remove, rinse with water, squeeze dry, and let drain.
Wash the tofu briefly with water and then cut it into small cubes.
Wash the green onions, chop them finely. Wash the coriander and chop it finely.
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Boiled Pumpkin
Place a pot on the stove, add 500ml of water and the pumpkin. Cover, turn the heat to medium, and boil until the pumpkin is soft.
Tip: You can use a chopstick to poke through the pumpkin; if it goes through easily, the pumpkin is cooked.Add all of the pumpkin and boiling water into a blender and blend until smooth.
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Sauté Mushrooms and Combine
Place another pot on the stove, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and heat it, then add the chopped green onions and sauté until fragrant.
When the onions are aromatic, add the oyster mushrooms and tofu, and gently stir over medium heat for about 1-2 minutes.
Next, season the pan with 1.5 teaspoons of vegan fish sauce, 1 teaspoon of vegan seasoning, and 1/2 tablespoon of sugar. Stir-fry for another 2 minutes to allow the ingredients to absorb the flavors, then turn off the heat.
Next, pour all of the blended pumpkin puree into the pot, and continue to cook until the soup boils.
Add 1/2 tablespoon of vegan seasoning, 1/3 tablespoon of sugar, and chopped cilantro to the pot, then season to taste and cook for another minute.
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Final Product
With just a few simple and quick steps, you can have a hot pumpkin soup that will impress your whole family.
The creamy soup served with chewy mushrooms, sweet flavors, and fragrant tofu will surely satisfy even the most discerning eaters!
How to choose fresh and delicious tofu
- You should choose pieces that have a creamy white color, and avoid those that are too white or too yellow, as they may contain gypsum, which is not good for health.
- You can check by holding them; choose tofu that feels light in hand, has a soft surface, and is not slimy.
- At the same time, to ensure the quality of tofu, you should buy from reputable stores with a brand and clear expiration date.
- Or you can also make tofu at home following detailed instructions from TasteVN via the link below.
How to choose delicious pumpkin
- For soups, you should choose ripe pumpkins to give the soup a sweet and rich flavor.
- Good pumpkins usually have an orange-yellow color with dark green patches, yellow flesh, and a relatively firm texture.
- Choose heavy, solid pumpkins with smooth skin.
- Choose pumpkins with a stem that is 2 – 5cm long. Those with short stems tend to rot faster.
- Choose round-shaped pumpkins that have naturally scored sections relatively evenly.
How to quickly peel pumpkin
- Use a sharp peeler to cleanly peel the skin around the pumpkin and hold the fruit tightly with your other hand.
- If your peeler is not sharp enough or you don’t have one, you can cut the pumpkin in half horizontally and then use a regular knife to peel the skin vertically.
- Use a knife to cut the fruit in half. Then continue to cut each half into 3 – 4 pieces depending on the size of the fruit.
- Use a spoon to scoop out the inside flesh or gently use a knife to separate the flesh.
- Finally, you just need to cut it to the desired size and prepare the dish.
How to store peeled pumpkin
- You wash the pumpkin clean, then put it in a vacuum bag and store it in the refrigerator refrigerator at a temperature of 5 – 8 degrees Celsius.
- If you want to keep it longer, you should place the pumpkin in the freezer at a temperature of -8 to -10 degrees Celsius.
- When you want to use it for cooking, you should thaw the pumpkin in the refrigerator until the ice melts, do not thaw it with water as water will cause the pumpkin to lose its nutrients.
Just now were 2 how to cook vegetarian pumpkin soup delicious and appealing for the family that TasteVN shared with you. After reading this article, please make those delicious bowls of soup for your family to enjoy during the days of light vegetarian meals.
*Refer to images and recipes from the Youtube channel Mother Nature
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