Chinese Vegetable Soup: Tom-Jab-Chai (ต้มจับฉ่าย)

This vegetable soup has influenced from Chinese Cuisine by using ingredients such as dried mushrooms, daikon, and pork to flavor the soup. The name Jab Chai is related to Chinese language; Jab is ten and Chai is vegetable, which means the mixed of ten variety vegetables. You also can use your favorite meats and vegetables from your fridge. It can be served in a cold winter or on a rainy day.

Ingredients 

1 Daikon radish, peeled, sliced 
4 Chinese Broccoli, trim the stems and sliced 
1 onion, cut in halves and quarters  
1/2 Napa cabbage
1/2 cabbage, sliced 
3 stacks celery, sliced 
1 carrot, sliced 
1 broccoli, cut the florets into small pieces  
5 dried mushrooms, sock in hot water 
3 tablespoons soy sauce 
1 tablespoon oyster sauce 
2 teaspoons salt  
1/2 teaspoon ground white and black pepper 
16 oz or 1 box firm tofu, cut 1/2 inch thick slices 
pork or chicken with bones, I use two pork bones and roasted chicken bones.   
water or chicken or vegetable stock 
1 tablespoon fermented soybean paste (optional) 

How to make cilantro paste
handful cilantro stems or 3 roots
4 garlic cloves 
1 teaspoon whole white pepper 
Use a pestle and mortar to pound cilantro stems , garlic, and pepper into a paste. 

These are veggies for the soup. 

cut the daikon and slice into small pieces 

sock dried shiitake mushrooms in hot water for 5 minutes and cut in halves  

trim the ends of Chinese broccoli from the stems and slices 

cut napa cabbage into 1/2 inch thick slices 

 remove the hard center core and cut into small bite sized pieces 

cut firm tofu into 1/2 -inch thick slices   

Directions 

How to make the stock

In a large 7.5-qt stockpot, pour water, add pork bones and I also use roasted chicken bones, 1 teaspoon salt, and bring to the boil about 20 minutes. Carefully skim off any form that comes to the top and bring the bones out from the pot. 

Here is my homemade stock. 

Stir in cilantro paste, soy sauce, oyster sauce, soybean paste, salt and pepper. Add daikon, carrot, onion, celery, cabbage, dried mushroom, Napa cabbage, broccoli, and Chinese broccoli. You also need to add more water to the pot during cooking. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add firm tofu and check seasonings. Then ladle into bowls or serve with steamed jasmine rice. Enjoy ka!  

Add firm tofu and adjust seasonings. 

Enjoy ka!