Yen Ta Fo Thai Pink Soup
Get ready to slurp your way through a bowl of Yen Ta Fo Thai pink soup! This mouthwatering noodle soup is packed with flavors, and the bright pink hue makes it a fun soup!
- Prep time
- 30 min
- Cook time
- 20 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 5 cup water
- 3 cilantro roots or 1/4 cup (chopped-1/inch pieces) cilantro stems (use the lowest and biggest stems you can chop)
- 1/2 cup daikon sliced
- 1 chicken bullion
- 11/2 tsp salt
- 3 cubes of red bean curds. (Also called fermented tofu)
- 2 tbsp red bean curd liquid. (From the same jar above)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp Sriracha sauce
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 2 large whole pickled garlic
- 3 tbsp pickled garlic juice
- 4 clove fresh garlic
- 1-2 small red peppers or Thai chili. For a less spicy version, use 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper (adjust for heat & color).
- 1 tbsp cilantro stems. If you have cilantro roots, use 1 stem.
- Traditional: Gouy Jup (rolled rice noodles) or Sen Yai (wide rice noodles).
- Easier substitutes: Pho noodles, Pad Thai rice noodles, egg noodles, ramen, or vermicelli.
- 1 cup water spinach, cut into 3-inch pieces (bok choy, Chinese broccoli, or spinach also work!)
- Fish balls or fish cakes medley (find in the freezer section at Asian markets)
- Fried wonton wrappers (see instructions below)
- Fried shallots
- Fried garlic
- Chili garlic oil
- Fish sauce or soy sauce
- Prik Nam Som (Thai vinegar chili sauce)
- Ground black or white peppercorns, chili flakes, or lime wedges for extra flavor
Instructions
- 1
Fry the wonton skins
- 2
Cut wonton wrappers into triangles or any preferred shapes!
- 3
Deep-fry in hot oil until golden and crisp — they only take seconds to cook, so stand by with a wire mesh strainer to scoop them quickly.
- 4
Drain on paper towels.
- 5
Make-ahead tip: Fry 1–2 days in advance; store in a sealed Ziploc bag or airtight container at room temperature to keep them crispy.
- 6
In a pot, combine water, bouillon cube, cilantro roots/stems, daikon, and salt.
- 7
Bring to a gentle boil and let simmer while you prepare the other components.
- 8
In a food processor, combine fermented red bean curd + liquid, pickled garlic + liquid, fresh garlic, tomato paste, red pepper/bell pepper, chili sauce (Sriracha), vinegar, sugar, and salt.
- 9
Blend until smooth. (Optional: add a drop of red food coloring for a more vibrant pink.)
- 10
Bring a small pot of water to a boil.
- 11
Add fish cakes and fish balls; cook for 2 minutes or until heated through. Remove and set aside.
- 12
Blanch water spinach (or bok choy/Chinese broccoli) until just wilted. Remove and set aside.
- 13
In the same pot of boiling water, add shrimp, squid, or other seafood. Cook until just done, then remove and set aside.
- 14
Prepare Gouy Jup or chosen noodles according to package instructions.
- 15
Drain and set aside briefly. Tip: Toss with a little neutral oil if cooking ahead to prevent sticking.
- 16
In each serving bowl, add 2–3 tablespoons of the pink sauce.
- 17
Ladle in a bit of hot broth and stir gently to combine.
- 18
Add noodles, greens, fish cakes/balls, and seafood.
- 19
Pour more broth over the top.
- 20
Garnish with fried wontons, fried shallots, fried garlic, chili garlic oil, prik nam som, fish sauce or soy sauce, and ground pepper/chili flakes if desired.