I wanted a plant based version that is easy to prepare using ingredients in the pantry and no sauteing to avoid the use of oil even plant derived ones. This latter ingredient is avoided as much as much as possible in this type of approach to eating. Of course, the chicken will be skipped too plus the fish sauce and pork jowls.
I love to experiment in pushing the envelope and used no vegetable broth either or fresh ginger, garlic and onions. I used instead dried minced onions, garlic powder and even ginger powder. I wanted it to be an easy and quick recipe to prepare when I just have to satisfy this craving for this addictive soup and but have no energy or motivation to chop. I also used leftover brown rice rather than cooking raw rice with the aromatics as in the regular recipe.
For the garnishes, I wanted the whole works. I had to have the green onions, tofu in the soy sauce marinade and a citrus which was lemon in this case. Green onions make everything taste better. The tofu in the soy sauce marinade offers texture and protein. The citrus is a must in my opinion and really gives the dish a bright and refreshing zing. These three compensated for the short cuts and the ingredients in the soup that were avoided like chicken that I mentioned.
This is a convenient deconstructed version of the original recipe. The verdict you may ask? With the help of the garnishes, I would say it was as comforting as the original but next time I would add the fresh ingredients like onions, garlic and ginger with or without sauteing first to the cooked brown rice and water. You can also follow the original recipe in this blog and just skip the chicken and fish sauce and use brown instead of white rice. But on days you want arroz caldo to comfort you quickly this plant based version will suffice. As I said the garnishes help. Do add more of the dry aromatics like garlic powder or ginger and even dry minced onions to the finished product as you wish to intensify any flavor you want accented while you are savoring the soup.
Here is the recipe for the soup and the marinade for the tofu.
Quick and Easy Plant Based Arroz Caldo
(Adapted from this recipe in this blog)
4 servings
- 1 cup brown rice, cooked
- 4 cups water (Note 1)
- 2 tbsp dry minced onions (Note 2)
- 2 tsp garlic powder (Note 2)
- 3 tsp ginger powder Note 2)
- 1 tsp salt (Note 3)
Garnishes (Note 4)
- two stalks green onions, chopped
- 4 oz cubed and previously drained tofu (see note 5) in soy marinade (recipe below)
- half a lemon, cut in wedges
Place all the ingredients in a pot and allow to boil and then simmer till the flavors blend. Do later add more of the spices as your taste buds lead you as you savor the soup. Garnish with green onions, tofu in the soy sauce marinade and lemon wedges which you drizzle before slurping the soup.
Notes:
1. You can use vegetable broth instead.
2. You can use fresh chopped onions (small one), minced fresh garlic (1 or more cloves) and minced fresh ginger (around one inch, peeled) instead.
3. Tamari or soy sauce can be added according to your taste instead.
4. If you have a carnivore in your family, you can have leftover cooked chicken pieces as one of the garnishes or you can also cook the chicken together with the other ingredients of the soup if preparing a separate batch for the carnivores.
5. You can drain the tofu by wrapping it in two or more paper towels or you can use the method I gave in a previous blogpost on barbecue hoisin tofu.
5. You can drain the tofu by wrapping it in two or more paper towels or you can use the method I gave in a previous blogpost on barbecue hoisin tofu.
Soy Marinade for the Tofu
- 1 tsp dry minced onions
- 1 tsp garlic powder or minced fresh garlic
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 4 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 4 tsp soy sauce.
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and then pour over the cubed tofu. Serve the tofu in the marinade on the side as a garnish.
| Nutrition Facts | ||||||
Serving Size 335 g
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Amount Per Serving
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Calories
210
Calories from Fat
24
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% Daily Value*
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Total Fat
2.6g
4%
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Saturated Fat
0.5g
3%
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Trans Fat
0.0g
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Cholesterol
0mg
0%
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Sodium
596mg
25%
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Potassium
251mg
7%
| ||||||
Total Carbohydrates
40.5g
13%
| ||||||
Dietary Fiber
2.7g
11%
| ||||||
Sugars
1.2g
| ||||||
Protein
6.6g
| ||||||
| ||||||
Nutrition Grade A-
| ||||||
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet
|
Nutritional Analysis
Good points
- Low in saturated fat
- No cholesterol
- Low in sugar
- Very high in manganese
- High in magnesium
Bad points
- High in sodium
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