Name: Singapore Stuffed Vegetable and Tofu Soup
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings as a main dish or 8 to 10 servings as part of a multicourse meal
Cuisine: Singapore Hakka
Ingredients: 1 pound firm tofu; Salt; 8 ounces skinless fillet from a firm, white-fleshed fish, such as rockfish or tilapia; 3 thin slices fresh ginger, lightly crushed; ¼ cup minced green onions, including green tops; 1 bitter melon, about 2 inches wide (about 8 ounces); 8 cups chicken broth, homemade or purchased; Chile sauce, homemade or purchased; 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger; 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 2 tablespoons fish sauce; 4 slender, straight, mild to medium-hot red chiles, such as Anaheim, New Me xican, or sweet Italian (6 to 8 ounces total), or 1 red bell pepper (about 8 ounces); 12 ounces ground pork; 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, or as needed; ¼ teaspoon salt; 1 large egg white; ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper; Cilantro leaves, for garnish; 1 Asian eggplant, about 1½ inches wide (about 8 ounces); 1 teaspoon minced garlic

Preparation info

Makes
4 to 6
servings as a main dish

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Hakka Cookbook

By Linda Anusasananan

Published 2012

About

In Singapore’s street markets, customers can choose from a wide selection of tofu and vegetables filled with fish paste and poached in a light broth. In the Cantonese style, the fish paste is light, smooth, and delicate. The Hakka version mixes pork into the filling for a deeper flavor and coarser texture. The stuffed vegetables and tofu flavor the broth as they poach in it. Cook this soup gently over low heat and without vigorous stirring so the filling remains inside the vegetables. If yo