Vegetable Soup With Tamarind and Lemongrass
- Total Time
- 35 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 to 6 servings
- 2tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola
- 2shallots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 4garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2lemongrass stalks, trimmed, cut into 4-inch-long pieces and smashed with the side of a knife
- 1(2-inch) piece fresh ginger, scrubbed and grated (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1(14½-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with their juices
- 1 to 3green Thai chiles, sliced or whole, depending on your heat preference
- Salt and black pepper
- 4cups vegetable stock
- 2tablespoons tamarind concentrate or ½ cup tamarind purée (see Tip)
- 1medium sweet potato (about 11 ounces), scrubbed, cut into thin ¼-inch rounds
- 1small bunch of red radishes or a small daikon, (about 8 ounces), scrubbed, and cut into ¼-inch slices (2 cups)
- 1 to 2tablespoons fish sauce (optional)
- 2cups mature spinach leaves
- 1(14-ounce) pack silken, soft or medium firm tofu, drained and broken into large 2- to 3-inch chunks
- 1cup mixed chopped fresh herbs, such as basil, dill and cilantro
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
229 calories; 11 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 23 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 15 grams protein; 986 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Heat the oil in a medium Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high until the oil shimmers. Add the shallots, and stir until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, lemongrass and 1 tablespoon grated ginger. Stir and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
- Step 2
Reduce heat to medium and add the tomatoes, their juices and the chiles. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir and break up the tomato pieces. Simmer until the tomato juices thicken slightly, 4 minutes. Season lightly with salt and black pepper. Stir in the vegetable stock, tamarind and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium-high, then lower heat to medium and simmer until the liquid reduces just slightly, about 8 minutes.
- Step 3
With the heat set to medium, add the potato and cook until just beginning to soften, about 6 minutes. Add the radish and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining ginger and fish sauce, if using. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Add in the spinach and tofu, and cook until the spinach is wilted and the tofu is warmed through, 1 minute.
- Step 4
Divide the soup and vegetables among bowls and garnish with a scattering of chopped herbs. Serve immediately while hot.
Tip
- Tamarind can be found as a purée or paste, in varying degrees of concentration. First taste the store-bought tamarind to determine how acidic it is and how much to use in the soup. Tamarind pods or pulp can also be bought to make the purée at home. All options are available at African, Caribbean or Asian grocery stores.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Colin
Pomegranate molasses can work as a tamarind substitute in my experience
Satya
I would greatly reduce tomato or skip to let the real sweet tart flavor of tamarind flourish. If required add a little more but that much tomato, I think, kills the real tamarind flavor if you want to emphasize tamarind in the taste and title of the soup! A teaspoon molasses or brown sugar or to taste will bring the balance.
Mary L.
Made this recipe following the directions and it was delicious! I used 2 tablespoons of tamarind paste, 3 dried Thai chilis (we like spicy), lots of cilantro at the end and finished with a squeeze of lime juice. Served the soup with thin rice noodles - we enjoyed every bite. We'll definitely make this one again!
lisa anne
we loved this! the flavor had depth and we enjoyed that it was very different than a lot of what we usually cook. we used kale instead of spinach, and added poached cod to our bowls in lieu of the tofu, then topped with basil and cilantro as our herb mix. oh and omitted the chilies bc we don't do spicy, but these were small tweaks and the essence of the recipe shone through beautifully.
meredith baker
i used Glory Bee Organic Tamarind Puree and didn't alter the recipe and it has a really great balance of flavors. will definitely make again!
Chris
The lemon grass needs more time to infuse the broth. Prepare the broth 12-24 hours prior.
Kim B
Soup came together well and was good when first made and served. However this isn’t a good soup to have leftovers for lunch during the week. I assume it is the radish, but the leftovers smell like what can best be described at hot garbage so it is not at all appetizing. Make and eat the soup the same day.
JA Scott
Per the instructions, Step 1: "Add the garlic, lemongrass and 1 tablespoon grated ginger"; the remaining ginger is added during Step 3. I would grate the ginger, and divide accordingly.
Gore
Perhaps miso paste rather than fish paste would provide a good vegan option.
DoubtingThomas
The intention is to cut a 2 inch-long piece of ginger into 4 pieces, each piece being 1 inch long. You're welcome.
Recipe Instruction needs edit
Instructions unclear, so .., I grated a two inch piece of peeled fresh ginger and used that. Sliced Lemongrass in half, then cut smaller pieces and smashed Flavors were delicious but a lot of prepping multiple ingredients Important to have your complete mis en place next to you Time to cook is quick but prep takes longer
Koby
The tamarind spec should more deliberately spell out that you need to check your tamarind puree for acidity. We added 1/2 cup and the acidity was knee buckling together with the radishes and tomatoes. Had to toss out the soup because it was entirely inedible.
KF
Next time use only 1Tbs tamarind. 2 is too much. I used2 c chicken stock 3 c water. I also included 3 keffir lime leaves. And smoked trout.
Sroos
Substituted lemongrass paste for the lemongrass Substituted one yellow onion for the shallots Substituted Caribbean snack - tamarind balls - and washed off the sugar before adding to recipe Used three dried (and very old) Badia Red Pepper Chili for the heat. Removed before serving. Used one roasted chicken breast instead of tofu Omitted the radishes
Sherree
Added fish instead of tofu and we loved it and will certainly have again. Wouldn’t change a thing.
Chachkii
Doubled all the spices, including the tamarind, and used a heaping handful of basil and cilantro. It was wonderful — I’ve never made such a bright hot and sour style soup before. I really liked the big hunks of tofu and the large discs of sweet potato, which made a great texture in a brothy soup. I think I’ll use 2 cups more broth / water next time for still more broth. Cooked rice noodles separately and poured the soup over them in bo
Rachel
This recipe was so delicious. I added large deep Sea scallops the last few minutes instead of the tofu, and served over ramen noodles. Outstanding recipe!
Rebekah
Haven’t tried this yet, but a Filipino soup called sinegang is another tamarind flavored vegetable soup that was my kids’ favorite food. Gave the kindergarten teachers trouble when writing the “My favorite things” lists, lol. I expect this to be yummy!
sask
Since tamarind can be hard to find, I substituted a packet of Knorr Tamarind Soup mix (<$1) and just added with the broth. The soup came out great. This recipe is outstanding!
sl
This is my new favorite soup. I made it with lemongrass in a tube the first time and less tamarind paste than called for, and added frozen yellowtail instead of fish sauce. The second time I followed the recipe exactly. I like it both ways. It’s a great light soup, with a huge burst of unusual flavor.
Kim B
Soup came together well and was good when first made and served. However this isn’t a good soup to have leftovers for lunch during the week. I assume it is the radish, but the leftovers smell like what can best be described at hot garbage so it is not at all appetizing. Make and eat the soup the same day.
Robin
Do add the fish sauce, I was amazed by how it transformed the dish. That said, I'm not sure I'll make this again. I prefer more filling soups and after a while, I grew tired of the taste. It felt like too much of the same flavor.
LBR
The broth is really quite tasty, but we found the combination of soup ingredients didn't quite come together. Will experiment with this recipe.
Hedda
I used tamarind concentrate 1tbsp since I hadn't worked with this ingredient before. The tanginess mellowed out and the soup was perfectly balanced. Tamarind is my new favorite ingredient!
Dorothy
Fifteen ingredients to make a vegetable soup? I don't think so.
Lois
I just finished making this. It is divine. It is a keeper and I'm not even crazy about tofu. I used a chicken broth base, that is the only change I made.
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