Spicy Sichuan Soup

Ingredients

Pork 300 g

Soy sauce 40 g

Garlic 2 cloves

Ginger 2 cm

Green chili 1

Green onion 2 stalks

Tomato paste 2 tbsp

Chicken broth 1000 ml

Starch 2 tsp

Tofu 300 g

Spinach to taste

First, prepare the pork. To do this, chop the meat very finely into cubes about 5 mm thick. This isn't minced meat yet, but it's also not the usual cut. It's one of the secrets of this and many other soups: we slightly reduce the texture of the pork so it doesn't stick out too much.

Simmer the pork in soy sauce for 20 minutes, stirring well every 5 minutes. While the pork is marinating, finely chop the garlic, ginger, hot chili pepper, and green onion.

Also cut the tofu into 1.5-centimeter cubes. If you don't have tofu, try another firm, neutral cheese.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a hot frying pan and add the garlic. Fry for a couple of minutes until fragrant.

Transfer the pork to the wok and sprinkle with chopped chili pepper. Fry, stirring constantly, until the pork begins to brown and develop a light crust.

At this point, add a tablespoon of hot paste (this could be a special chili paste, or something like Vietnamese ketchup, like Heinz Hot).

 

After a couple of minutes, pour in a liter of chicken broth and bring it to a boil. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the starch (preferably cornstarch) and water (2 teaspoons), stirring gently until the mixture is evenly distributed. Pour it into the soup and stir well but gently. This will thicken the soup. Add the tofu cubes and green onions and simmer for a couple more minutes. Taste the soup; if it's not spicy enough, add more pasta.



When serving, place fresh spinach leaves or other brightly colored greens on the side of the plate. They will help offset the soup's spiciness as you spoon in a couple of leaves and a cube of tofu.

Enjoy!