As someone raised in the US, I fall firmly into the Breakfast Camp of Easy-to-Feed. Whereas the other camps are Egg-and-Bacon, Hot-or-Cold-Cereal, Avocado-Toast, Power-Smoothie, Pastry, or Dear-God-How-Can-You-Eat-Anything-in-the-Morning? Because food is my friend, soup for breakfast delights me (think Pho), and to find a this to add to my morning repertoire is superb.
To American tastes, this soup leans toward odd because it is texturally a cream soup with lots of interesting bits added in. If you are gluten-free, you will love it because it’s made from chickpea flour. Must you eat it only for breakfast? Of course not. Eat it whenever. The secret is to salt it just enough. Too little salt makes the whole thing taste flat.
A couple of notes about the add-ins. Fried shallots are a must, along with a spoonful of fried peanuts and a drizzle of shallot oil. The rest is up to you. Typically, this is a vegan soup, but feel free to add some crispy pork belly, shredded chicken, or grilled beef.
TOHU BYAWK - BURMESE BREAKFAST SOUP
INGREDIENTS
¼ c of chickpea flour
⅓ teaspoon of salt
2½ ounces water
5 to 8 ounces of water
2 ounces of cooked noodles, rice or udon
TOPPINGS
1 shallot, peeled, sliced, and fried
shallot oil
crunchy garlic in chili oil
¼ cup of chopped cilantro
⅛ of onion, peeled and thinly sliced
⅛ of jalapeño, thinly sliced
a handful of greens, wilted and tossed with some shallot oil
hot sauce
crispy pork belly, shredded chicken, or sliced grilled beef (optional)
METHOD
Go ahead and fry up the shallots. These keep well—up to a week—in a sealed jar.
Make sure your noodles are cooked and prep other toppings you’ll use. Set aside for plating.
Whisk together the chickpea flour, salt, and 2½ ounces of water in a bowl. You want the mixture to be smooth.
Set the chickpea mixture aside.
Boil 5 ounces of water in a pan.
Whisk the chickpea mixture once more before slowly pouring it into the boiling water while whisking.
Switch to a wooden spoon.
Reduce the heat to low and frequently stir the soup with the wooden spoon to prevent the bottom from sticking.
Cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until the mixture has a beautiful sheen.
You may need to loosen the mixture with more water. If you do this, use boiling water, remembering to stir until you get the desired thickness. Think light cream soup rather than a potage or chowder-consistency.
Taste and adjust the seasoning. Usually, it needs more salt.
Briefly heat your noodles in hot water before adding them to a warm bowl.
Ladle the soup around the noodles.
Garnish with a drizzle of shallot oil and crunchy garlic.
To one side of the noodles, gently place the wilted greens.
On the other, layer your cilantro, fresh onions, and jalapeño.
Top with peanuts and shallots.
Serve immediately with the hot sauce served at the table, if using
This is most interesting. And nothing wrong with eating a "meal" for breakfast. Mick used to bring leftovers and eat them for breakfast :)
So the chickpea flower and water are the base, really? What's the texture like? I'm intrigued enough to want to make this!