Vegan gaeng liang (Thai vegetable soup with lemon basil)
Gaeng Liang is a soup made spicy from both peppercorns and chilli. It's a simple dish comprised of mixed vegetables (typically a type of gourd is included), a minimal base, and lemon basil. No other type of basil will impart the same flavour.
Servings: 4 servings
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 litre water or unsalted stock
- 60 grams roughly chopped shallot heaped ⅓ cup
- 1 tablespoon vegan shrimp paste, Korean doenjang, or Thai fermented soybean paste See notes1
- 2 teaspoons chopped fingerroot (grachai)
- 12 white peppercorns
- 1-2 red bird’s eye chilies depending on heat preference
- 2 tablespoons Thai thin soy sauce See notes2
- ½ teaspoon mushroom seasoning granules (optional)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 200-250 grams butternut squash or pumpkin, cut into 1 ½ inch pieces 2-ish cups
- 125-250 grams firm tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes ½-1 cup
- 150 grams courgette, cut into 1 ½ inch chunks 1 ½ cups
- 215 grams mixed mushrooms
- 20-25 grams lemon basil leaves 1 packed cup
Instructions
- Add around half the water, shallot, shrimp paste, fingerroot, white peppercorns, and chillies to a blender and liquidise until smooth. Pour into a saucepan along with the rest of the water and turn up the heat to high. Add the soy sauce, mushroom granules, and salt.
- Bring the soup to a rapid boil. As soon as it begins to boil, add the pumpkin and tofu.
- Boil for around 8 minutes, until the pumpkin is just or nearly cooked.
- Add the courgette and mushrooms. Cook for another 5-10 minutes, until everything is cooked to your liking.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon basil. Taste for salt and adjust to your liking.
- Serve with steamed jasmine rice.
Notes
- To learn more about Thai soy sauces, see my Thai soy and seasoning sauce primer.
- To learn more about vegan shrimp paste and its substitutes see my post on vegan alternatives to shrimp paste. For information about Thai fermented soybean paste, see the aforementioned Thai soy and seasoning sauce primer.