Frogboots

Here is my recipe for Green Jade Soup, an adaptation of a traditional Chinese veggie recipe:

GREEN JADE SOUP

15 or 16 oz chopped spinach (fresh or frozen)
15 oz can creamed corn
6 cups vegetable broth (or hot water and 3 chopped Rapunzel Vegetable Bouillon cubes)
3/4 tablespoon cornstarch, blended with 2 tablespoons of water (use a little more if you want soup thicker)
2-3 tablespoons butter or canola oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons yeast extract (Vegemite or Marmite)
Salt and pepper to taste (I like to use freshly ground Szechuan pepper, which is wonderfully fragrant, rather than spicy-hot…especially since tuong ot toi already makes it spicy-hot, if you like that.)

Optional ingredients: (I usually use all of these, as long as I have them)
1 cup chopped onion
1 large clove chopped garlic
1 teaspoon Tuong Ot Toi (Vietnamese Chili and Garlic Paste; add this in small amounts, to taste)
1 block tofu, diced or cut in strips (Mori-Nu boxed tofu, silken soft, works well in this soup)
2 x- 2oz packages of cellophane noodles (also known as bean thread, bai fun)
½ cup white Chinese cooking wine

Melt the butter in a large saucepan, then stir in the onions and spinach. Stir fry for a few minutes (longer if using frozen spinach). Add garlic and stir.
Pour in the creamed corn and broth. Add the soy sauce and yeast extract, and stir until the spinach is well blended with the liquid. Add tofu, if desired. Adjust for seasoning. Simmer for a few minutes, add Chinese cooking wine (if used) and serve.
If desired, this soup may be served over cellophane noodles (softened in hot water for 15 minutes) or rice vermicelli, boiled briefly (till al dente) and drained.






(The photo above shows Green Jade Soup blended till smooth, to make "Green Soup a la Clangers" for Phil:
http://my.opera.com/365/albums/showpic.dml?album=392478&picture=6469203 )