Basic Chinese Chicken Soup Stock (Soup Base)

Ingredient Name:  Fresh Tofu or Bean Curd

• Tofu is made from soybeans
• It is coagulated soy milk that is cut into blocks
• Tofu is available fresh or processed or pre-cooked
• It is a food or Chinese origin
• Tofu can be as steamed, stewed, fried, braised, fermented, made in soups and a variety of cooking methods

How do I prepare it?

• Simply remove from package, drain the tofu water and cut into cubes if used in soups

Where can I buy this?

You can purchase fresh tofu in most Asian supermarkets
You must purchase stiffer tofu so that when boiled in soup, it doesn’t break apart

What is the cost?

• A pack of 4 large cubes of tofu costs around $1.50 CAD

Any benefits?

• Tofu is a low-calorie food with no saturated fat or cholesterol and is very high in protein
• It contains beneficial amounts of iron, calcium and magnesium

Any precautions?

• Soybeans if consumed in large amounts can contribute to gout due to its high protein content

Additional Information?

• Fresh tofu has a very short shelf life of up to 1 week
• You can smell the fresh tofu to determine whether its gone bad or not

Resources

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tofu