A healthy vegetarian twist to the classic sour-and-spicy Thai soup, with added fibre and disease-fighting mushrooms.
Fibre can help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels and we’ve chosen to use wholemeal rice vermicelli, instead of the traditional white, for that reason. However, because it is wholemeal, it will take about 15 minutes in hot water to soften, so be sure to soak it before you start cooking anything else. Don’t worry if you end up soaking it for longer, since wholemeal rice vermicelli has more structural integrity and won’t get mushy.
When shopping for Tom Yam paste, the ones from vegetarian shops usually does not contain sodium benzoate, a synthetic food preservative, but be sure to read the ingredients list anyway.
Two different types of mushrooms are used in this dish—the delicate and velvety king oyster, and the thin, white enoki, used mostly in Asian cuisines. Mushrooms are low in calories and high in B-group vitamins, important for healthy hair, skin, liver, and eyes. It is also a vegetarian source of protein. Enoki mushrooms have also been shown to help lower risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s, heart disease and even cancer.
Don’t worry about washing the frying pan after broiling the king oyster mushrooms since it will provide added flavour to the Tom Yam soup.
Enoki mushrooms and bean sprouts do cook rapidly, so be sure not to overcook them.
Ingredients
Toasted mushrooms
1 tsp oil
1 king oyster mushroom, sliced lengthwise into 1-cm strips
salt and pepper, to taste
Tom Yam bee hoon
Brown rice vermicelli (enough for two serves)
Hot water, enough to submerge wholemeal rice vermicelli
2 tbsp Tom Yam paste (those from vegetarian shops contain less sodium benzoate, a synthetic food preservative – blog post only)
1 stalk lemongrass, bruised with knife handle
800 ml water
One packet enoki mushrooms
Handful of bean sprouts
4 taupok
Soy sauce or salt, to taste
Lettuce
Method
1. Submerge brown rice vermicelli in hot water and set aside.
2. Heat a medium-sized non-stick frying pan over medium flame. Add the oil.
3. Place king oyster mushrooms in a single layer on pan. Reduce heat to low and broil for 2 minutes.
4. Flip mushrooms when browned. Add salt and pepper. Broil for 2 more minutes. Set aside after both sides have browned.
5. Place tom yam paste, lemongrass and water in the non-stick frying pan and bring to boil.
6. Add enoki mushrooms, and bean sprouts and taupok, continue boiling for approximately 1-3 minutes. These cook rapidly so be careful not to overcook.
7. Drain wholemeal bee hoon and divide into bowls. Add lettuce, soup and top with toasted mushrooms.
