Tomato Soup w/ Lentils, Potatoes, & Tofu
This Tomato Soup consists of fried tofu, red lentils, carrots, miniature potatoes, garlic, shallots, tomato paste, bay leaves, vegetable broth, and white wine.
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Skillet
- Stovetop
- Paper Towels
Ingredients
- 5 carrots sliced
- 8 oz. mini potatoes quartered
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 shallot minced
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 c. dry white wine (I used sauvignon blanc)
- 64 oz. vegetable broth (2 containers, 8 cups)
- 6 bay leaves
- 2 c. red lentils
- 16 oz. tofu fried
Instructions
Bisque
- Add all of the ingredients, except for the tofu, into a large pot.For less of a rustic earthiness, peel the potatoes beforehand.
- Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
- Simmer on medium-low for 45-60 minutes, or until the chowder has thickened to the desired consistency.I like my chowders a little bit thicker. But you don't have to simmer that long if you don't want! You can simmer just enough to cook the potatoes until tender. This can take as little as 20-30 minutes. If you slow cook potatoes enough they will begin to disintegrate at some point. I did this on purpose because it thickens the soup and I enjoy the creaminess and heartiness of a thicker chowder. But, like I said, this is all personal preference!If the bisque is cooking too quickly and the liquid is simmering out too fast, turn the temperature down and put on a lid. If the bisque is cooking too slowly, don't use a lid and turn the temperature up slightly.
Fry Tofu
- Drain the tofu and wrap in paper towels to absorb the moisture.It's important to absorb as much water out of the tofu as you can. Oil is less dense than water, so the molecules repel one another. With cold ingredients, this causes separation. When you're frying, though, this can cause boiling hot oil to spray back at you.
- Meanwhile, preheat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- When the skillet has preheated and the majority of the water has absorbed into the paper towels, carefully add the tofu to the skillet. Fry until golden brown. This should take about 2-4 minutes. Rotate until all sides are evenly fried.Remove from heat and wrap again in paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
- Add the tofu to the bisque.You can add the tofu either earlier in the cooking process up until just before serving. The earlier that you add it, the more flavor the tofu will absorb. Although, the later in the cooking process, the crisper it will be. This means that when you add the tofu will depend on how much bisque you want it to absorb! This is entirely personal preference.
Serve
- Once the to potatoes are soft and the bisque has cooked down to your liking, serve immediately or refrigerate.The exact cooking time is, again, largely a matter of personal preference. The general rule of thumb is when you can pierce the potatoes with a fork and they break apart, without crumbling. The time that this takes will vary depending on how low of a temperature you simmer the bisque at.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
- For a more in-depth article on preparing tofu, check out my article on The Fundamentals of Fried Tofu. High heat oil and a precise cooking temperature are important to keep the tofu from drying out or burning.