taiwan style soy milk soup

Made this Taiwan-style Soy Milk Soup last night.

The cookbook that I found the recipe in says to make this soup when you are tired of eating out.

Taiwan-style Soy Milk Soup adapted from "Soup Stock Tokyo 2" : makes 4 servings
Soboro
120 grams minced chicken (or pork)
50 cc water (1/4 cup)
5 grams takuan (minced), optional
nub of ginger, grated
1 tablespoon shoyu
1 teaspoon sugar

Furikake
2 tablespoons jakko (dried young sardines)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon fried onion
1 teaspoon white sesame seed
2 tablespoons cashew (or peanuts), finely chopped

Soup
2 dried shiitake, reconstituted
200 cc water (1 cup)
600 cc soymilk (3 cups)
salt to taste

Toppings
cilantro
1 teaspoon black vinegar (per serving)
croutons
chili oil

Make the soboro. Soboro literally means "minced".
In a pan, put the water, meat, takuan, shoyu, sugar and ginger
On medium heat, break up the meat while cooking
Cook until all the liquid has evaporated

Make the furikake.
In a frying pan, heat the oil and add the jakko.
When it is coated with the oil, add the fried onion, sesame seeds and nuts
Saute until fragrant and crispy

Make the soup.
Reconstitute the shiitake then slice thinly.
Strain the reconstituted shiitake water and put in the soup.
Add the soymilk and salt to taste.
Heat but do not boil.

To serve: add 1 tablespoon of soboro, 1 tablespoon of furikake, ladle in soup.
Top with some cilantro, croutons, chili oil and 1 teaspoon black vinegar.
*if you do add the vinegar, the soup will curdle/thicken slightly.

NOTES: a bit tedious but super comforting soup.

I forgot to put the vinegar when we had this last night, but will try it tonight with the leftovers.

This winter has been quite harsh, and soup has been a nice way to warm up.