Meatless Monday: Three Onions Asian Vegetarian Soup

This soup was really easy to put together and tasted so wonderful. The adjustments to the seasoning sauces is the key. Find your perfect combination and you will be happy. Notice that there is no salt or pepper here? You may put it on the table along with some seasoning sauce and fish sauce!

THREE ONIONS ASIAN VEGETARIAN SOUP

1 C dry small white beans, washed and soaked for at least 4 hours
1/2 C dry pearl barley, washed
1 1/2 T peanut oil
1/2 T toasted sesame oil
1 shallot, peeled and sliced
1 leek, washed, sliced in half moons
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
2 ribs of celery, strings removed and diced
1 1/2 tsp Better Than Bouillon Mushroom
2 tsp Better Than Bouillon Not Chicken
1/2 C dry white wine (I used sauvignon blanc)
3+ C hot water
reserve liquid from cooking beans
fish sauce
vegetarian seasoning sauce
hoisin sauce
maggi seasoning
1/3 – 1/2 C dried, shredded black fungus (mushrooms)
1/2 C shredded zucchini
1/2 C shredded carrots
1/3 C corn kernels
1/3 C peas
5 scallions, cleaned and sliced in 1 1/2″ pieces
handful of cilantro, roughly chopped

I keep fresh frozen zucchini, carrot, corn, green beans, sometimes beans or grains (both undercooked) in my freezer most of the time for quick meals.
If you’ve never used Asian seasonings, taste them first to see what the flavors are and how much you like each one.

Cook white beans and pearly barley separately in water until al dente. Drain and reserve the liquid from the beans and beans & barley separately. (Can be made several days in advance.)
Saute the shallot, leek, garlic and celery in a stock pot in the peanut and toasted sesame oil until soft and translucent. Add the Bouillon, wine, bean juice, 2 C of hot water, start out adding 1 T of each: fish sauce, vegetarian seasoning sauce, hosin sauce, add 1 tsp maggi sauce.
Cook at a fast simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the black fungus, beans and barley and more hot water as needed up to 4 C total hot water. Cook for another 15-20 minutes. Adjust the seasonings with the fish sauce, seasoning sauce, hoisin sauce and maggi sauce. Test the beans and barley for tenderness.
Add the zucchini, carrots, corn, peas, scallions and cilantro at the end and just heat for 4-5 minutes more.
Serve warm.

Tags: Community, cooking, cooking wisdom, Food, Frugality, Learning, Recipe, Recipes, Teaching