Kaeng Jued Tao Hoo Recipe

Prepare broth

Rinse dried shiitake mushrooms quickly under cold water, then place in 1 cup warm water to rehydrate for 15 minutes. Peel ginger and crush lightly. In a large pot, combine 8 cups broth, rehydrated shiitake (reserve soaking liquid), crushed garlic and ginger. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.

Flavor broth

Add fish sauce, light soy sauce, white pepper and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. If the shiitake soaking liquid has sediment, strain it through a fine sieve and add up to 1/4 cup of that soaking liquid to the pot for extra umami (discard any grit). Simmer gently for 10 minutes to let aromatics infuse.

Make garlic oil

While broth simmers, heat 1/2 cup neutral oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add thinly sliced garlic and optional shallot with a pinch of salt. Fry gently, stirring occasionally, lowering heat as needed so slices sizzle slowly and turn golden-brown but do not burn (about 6–8 minutes). When golden and crisp, remove from heat and strain the oil into a small heatproof bowl or jar; reserve the crispy garlic and shallot separately on a paper towel. Keep oil warm if possible.

Prepare noodles and vegetables

Soak vermicelli rice noodles in warm water for 5–7 minutes until pliable but not fully soft, then drain and set aside. Rinse and drain shredded napa cabbage, julienned carrot, sliced bok choy and mushrooms. Gently rinse cubed silken tofu under cold water to remove any packaging liquid and drain carefully on a paper towel-lined tray.

Cook vegetables in broth

Once broth has simmered 10 minutes and aromatics have imparted flavor, strain out the ginger, garlic and shiitake pieces if you prefer a clear broth (you may also leave mushrooms in if you like). Bring broth back to a gentle simmer and add mushrooms, carrots and napa cabbage. Cook 2–3 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.

Add noodles and greens

Add drained vermicelli and bok choy to the simmering broth. Cook 1–2 minutes more until noodles are just tender and greens are wilted.

Add tofu and finish

Very gently slide cubed soft tofu into the gently simmering broth so cubes stay intact. Warm through for 1–2 minutes — avoid stirring vigorously. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional fish sauce or salt if needed.

Ladle soup into individual bowls, making sure each bowl gets a portion of noodles, vegetables, mushrooms and several tofu cubes.

Spoon 1 teaspoon (or more to taste) of warm crispy garlic oil over each bowl to add sheen and fragrance, and sprinkle some of the reserved crispy garlic and shallot on top for crunch.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and sliced green onions. Serve with lime wedges on the side for a bright finish. Provide extra fish sauce or soy sauce at the table if desired.