“I am such a fan of tomato soups that I decided to put two in this book,” says Alison Roman. “The smooth, creamy, from-a-can variety feels, to me, more like puréed sauce than something I’d want to eat a whole bowl of, so know that this is decidedly different, proving (mostly to myself) that tomato soup can be so much more. It doesn’t require a blender and is full of texture and joie de vivre.
“This one is just as much about the kimchi as it is the tomato, heavy on the tanginess and full of delightful bits and pieces to scoop up with your spoon. It’s brothy but nicely thickened by plump little grains of rice that cook right in the soup. As with many soups in this chapter, the liquid you add here is water (not broth), so the soy and fish sauces pull their weight big-time. It almost feels like cheating, using this many umami-heavy ingredients in one soup, but that’s the beauty of having a well-stocked pantry, no?
“For the tomatoes, this is a good time to use those ugly, bruised, end-of-year sorts you might find, or maybe ones that overstayed their welcome on your kitchen counter. If fresh aren’t an option, you can of course go full pantry and use tinned.”
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 450 g (1 lb) fresh tomatoes (any type), chopped (or 2 x 400 g/14 oz tins whole plum tomatoes, drained, tomatoes crushed by hand)
- 5 cm (2 inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled or not, finely chopped
- 1 x 350 g (12 oz) jar kimchi, chopped (about 1½ cups), plus any liquid
- 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) soy sauce or tamari, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce, plus more to taste
- 100 g (31/2 oz/½ cup) jasmine or basmati rice, well rinsed
- sesame oil or a few pats of unsalted butter, for serving
- 4 six-minute eggs (recipe follows), for serving (optional)
- thinly sliced spring onions (scallions), for serving (optional)
Method
Note
Place the rice in a mesh strainer and rinse with cold water until the water runs clear. This rids the rice of excess starch, which could otherwise make the soup murky or gluey, versus having nice individual grains.
Do ahead
The soup can be made 3 days ahead and refrigerated.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion and garlic are lightly browned and the edges are starting to frizzle, 8–10 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and ginger and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and start to become jammy, 8–10 minutes (same if using tinned tomatoes).
- Add the kimchi and its liquid, soy sauce, fish sauce and 1.4 litres (48 fl oz/ 6 cups) water. Bring to a boil and add the rice. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is completely cooked through and tender and the broth has thickened nicely, 15–20 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and more soy or fish sauce as needed. Ladle into bowls and top with a drizzle of sesame oil or a pat of butter, an egg and some sliced spring onions, if you like.
Six minute eggs
To make these perfect six-minute eggs, bring a small pot of water to the boil. Using a small strainer or a regular spoon, gently lower in however many eggs you want. (I tend to do five at a time, since that’s how many fit in my chosen small pot.) Once the eggs are in and your water is boiling, set your timer for six (6) minutes. Once the timer goes off, use that same strainer or spoon and remove the eggs, transferring them to a medium bowl.
Run the eggs under cold water for a minute or two (an ice bath is not part of my plan) and let them cool. There will be some carryover since there is no ice bath – this is okay (this is part of my plan). When they’re cool enough to handle, they are ready to peel and eat however you like: snack, salad, somewhere in between. They will keep in the fridge for a few days. (I like to label the outside of the shell with some sort of doodle, word or letter to indicate they are cooked and not raw.)
This is an edited extract from Something from Nothing by Alison Roman, published by Quadrille. Available in stores nationally including at great independent retailers such as Readings, Hill of Content and Books for Cooks. Photography by Chris Bernabeo.