Turmeric Tofu & Gyoza Broth

Serves 2

So on one hand, I feel like I might be sliggghtly cheating here by pretending that this is an entirely new recipe; but on the other hand I feel like maybe I’m actually a bit of a time-saving foodie-rockstar by managing to make yet another recipe out of the same broth that I used for fish curry a couple of weeks ago. I’ll let you guys decide!  This version is vegan and has some crispy tofu, pak choi and vegetable gyoza in it, which I must admit are from Itsu – they make great frozen ones that are so easy to prepare, I just use them instead of fiddling about making my own *slaps own wrist for not making a truly authentic homemade meal.*

This broth is full of warming spices, totally delicious and literally bursting with goodness.  Of course, as much as we would love there to be, there is no “antidote” for the common cold, but there are compounds in food that can aid our body’s defence to fight it as best we can.  Garlic, ginger, onions and turmeric are particularly effective and have been used for centuries as a natural cold and flu remedy.  This dish is loaded with anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-viral ingredients that help to boost our immune systems, so I tend to make a batch of this as soon as I feel the dreaded sniffles coming on.  

Turmeric has some of the most reliable scientific backing when it comes to its healing powers. The active ingredient is called Curcumin and has potent antioxidant capabilities that have been shown to help with a whole variety of health concerns, from arthritis to digestive problems. Western medicine has also begun to study turmeric as a pain reliever, as an anti-inflammatory, and as a healing agent. Amazingly, in laboratory tests, curcumin has also shown promise as having both protective effects against cancer and even potential as part of cancer treatment itself.  

It is worth noting thatturmeric on it’s own is not very well absorbed by the body, so needs to be consumed with a fat (like the oil and coconut milk in this recipe) and some black pepper.   The active ingredient in black pepper is called piperine and research has shown that by combining the piperine and the turmeric, it can actually enhance the curcumin absorption by up to 2000%!

The fragrant ginger, turmeric and lemongrass pack a real flavour punch, which also work brilliantly with some shredded leftover roast chicken. This makes it even more versatile, as the recipe can be used for this tofu broth or either a fish or chicken curry too. 

One serving provides 470 calories and 27g of plant-based protein.  It also provides over 100% of my daily Iron and Calcium requirements.

INGREDIENTS 

· 100g Red Onions
· 100g Leeks
· 2 Celery Stalks
· 4 Garlic Cloves
· 15g Fresh Turmeric (or 1 tbsp Ground Turmeric Powder)
· 15g Fresh Ginger
· ½–1 tsp Fresh Red Chilli depending on how spicy you like it 
· 4 Kaffir Lime Leaves (if you can find them, but not essential)
· 3 sticks Fresh Lemongrass
· Juice & Zest from 1 Lime
· 1 pack firm tofu (I used Taifun’s Curcuma Tofu)
· 8 Vegetable Gyoza (I used Itsu’s frozen ones)
· 300-400 ml Unsweetened Coconut Milk (from a drinkable carton, not a tin)
· 2 tsp Olive Oil to sauté
· 90g Baby Pak Choi
· Salt & fresh black pepper to taste

METHOD  

· Dice the onions, leeks and celery.
· Chop the pak choi.
· Finely dice the chilli and the lemongrass (remove the first 2-3 tough outer layers first and only use the softer bendier middle part).
· Mince the garlic and grate the ginger and turmeric.
· Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and sweat the onions, leeks and celery for 5 minutes.
· Add the garlic, chilli, lemongrass, turmeric and ginger and fry for one more minute before adding the coconut milk and kafir lime leaves (if using).  
· Simmer for 10 minutes. NOTE:  You can either add the chopped pak choi straight into the broth here, or else you can pan fry it in some oil and add it at the end.
· While the broth is simmering, heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the tofu for 3-4 minutes on each side so that it becomes golden and crispy.  Set aside.
· Cook the gyoza as per the instructions on the packet.  Set aside.
· Add the juice and zest of 1 lime to the broth.
· Season with a little salt and a generous amount of black pepper.
· Remove the kaffir lime leaves.
· Serve in a big bowl with the tofu, pak choi and gyoza. 

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Calories – 470
Protein – 27g
Fat – 20g
Carbohydrates – 47g
Fibre – 6g
Vitamin A – 21%
Vitamin C – 35%
Calcium – 112% 
Iron – 109%