The Happy Home Cook: Patola Soup with Tempeh

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Patola Soup with Tempeh (Photo by Astig Vegan)

Patola, also known as Loofa Squash/Snake Gourd/Sponge Gourd/Chinese Okra, is a kind of vegetable gourd that is popular in Filipino soups. The patola vegetable has a dark green skin on the outside and tender, light green flesh inside. It has a nice chewy texture that is easy to cook and incorporate in any dish. Here in the United States, you could find patola at most Asian and Filipino grocery stores.

My patola soup is almost considered a Misua soup except I used a different kind of noodle: Bean thread vermicelli instead of soft, mushy Misua noodles. I also used dried Shiitake mushroom and its mushroom broth as well as vegetable broth instead of chicken or beef broth.

I topped my patola soup with fried marinated tempeh for added flavor and richness.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons canola oil

• 4 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed, and minced

• 1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped

• 2 long patola, peeled and sliced

• 1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in small bowl of hot water for 20 minutes (save the broth)

• 1 cup vegetable broth (or more to taste)

• 6-8 cups water

• 2½ ounces bean thread noodles, soaked in lukewarm water for 10 minutes

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil (optional)

• Marinated tempeh (optional) (see recipe below)

Patola soup ingredients (Photo by Astig Vegan)

Marinated Tempeh

• ¼ cup soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• 1 tablespoon rice wine

• 1 teaspoon agave syrup (or sweetener of choice)

• salt and pepper

• 2 tablespoons canola oil

Tempeh (Photo by Astig Vegan)

Instructions

1.     Heat medium-sized pot over medium heat. Once hot enough, pour canola oil and saute garlic until fragrant. Follow with onions.

2.     Add patola and saute for another 5 minutes or until patola has softened.

3.     Add shiitake mushroom, mushroom broth (what you used to soak the mushroom), vegetable broth, water, and noodles. Mix and simmer for 15 minutes or until noodles have softened. Season with salt and pepper. Add more vegetable broth to taste.

4.     Turn off heat. Add refined coconut oil, optional but highly recommended. Serve hot, topped with marinated tempeh (optional) (see recipe below).

Marinated Tempeh

1.     Place tempeh and sauce in a glass dish and marinate for 20 minutes.

2.     Heat medium size pan or wok over medium heat. Once hot enough, pour oil and fry tempeh on all sides for 5-10 minutes.

3.     Turn off heat and serve tempeh on top of patola soup (suggested serving)..    

This dish is super easy to make, I hope you could give it a try. Let me know what you think of the patola vegetable!

First posted in: http://www.astigvegan.com/vegan-filipino-patola-soup-with-tempeh-2/?fbclid=IwAR1iZuxFaD1TZ-S2PcrXi4yWHFZPxLPZcVZ4IgzkbLt4Le2mdAc9JhwAGoA

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Chef Richgail Enriquez

RG Enriquez at astigvegan.com discovers ways to show that Filipino food can be vegan, healthy, and delicious without losing its soul. Born and raised in the Philippines, RG veganizes the Filipino food of her childhood. She has appeared on the television show, "Adobo Nation" and given demonstrations and talks at "Savor Filipino", "Taste of South Lake”, “Barrio Fiesta”, Pitzer College, and Cal-State East Bay.

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