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Sunday, May 10, 2015

BCD Soon Tofu Soup Starter

Do you ever crave Korean Soon Tofu Soup?  I most certainly DO!!!

I was introduced to BCD Tofu House a couple of years ago when visiting LA (thanks Dustin) and though I have eaten many soon tofu soups since. I have not had one as good as BCD.

BCD in my opinion makes the best or at least the best Soon Tofu Soup that I have ever had. Custardy tofu in a bubbling stone pot with beef and seafood. This simple bowl of soup was so memorable that we all went back 2 nights in a row. Truth be told, we would have gone back for round three if we didn't have to head back home. It left such a memorable impression that I've been craving it ever since and that was back in the summer of 2013.

On a recent visit to NYC I spotted the BCD Tofu House in Koreatown and knew I had to eat there.
The problem was that we already ate our way through Chinatown and had big plans for dinner. This new discovery was a must do. But how were we going to fit this into our already packed schedule?

Problem solved... sort of... BCD is open 24 hours and that meant that we could squeeze it in for a late night/early morning extravaganza.  And that's exactly what we did and we were not disappointed.

You might be thinking, what's all the excitement about a tofu house that most of us can't enjoy unless we are in Cali or NY? (there are more locations, but I'm not close to them either)
Are you ready for the good news???
It's the discovery of their convenient and fast BCD Soon Tofu Soup Starter. It's magic in a bag that I can get at my neighborhood Asian grocer. Yippee!!!
Here are my suggestions to make the awesome soon tofu at home.

You can follow the directions on the package or you can make it my way.

There's only two items in the package. A generous block of soon (soft) silky tofu and a pouch of sauce paste.  That's it.  It cost me $2.99 and turns into a huge bowl of deliciousness. 
  • I tried both the regular and hot.  I'm usually a med heat kinda girl but I would I recommend the HOT.  It is truly over stated as hot.
  • Though it seems like 5oz. of water won't be enough, it is.
  • I add my egg to the pot and let it cook for 2 min. covered.  The end result is a perfectly cooked poached egg (my personal preference).  To get the egg out of the pot without breaking I scoop it out with a large kitchen spoon and after I pour the soup into the bowl I place the egg on top.
Just a little bit of everything is all you need.  I usually have a bag of seafood mix in my freezer.

My version of Beef and Seafood Soon Tofu Soup
Add as little or as much as you desire.  There is no science to this.

BCD Soon Tofu Soup Starter HOT
Onions (a few slices)
Cabbage (a hand full)
Seafood Mix (a hand full)
Beef or Pork (I used thin sliced flank, but pork would work well too)
Water (5oz, it doesn't seem like it will be enough, but it is)
Zucchini (4 slices cut in half)
Green Onions (6 sprigs, I love green onions)
Egg (1)

Heat a pot over med-high heat.  Add about 1 Tbsp. oil, onions, cabbage, seafood and meat.  Stir to mix.  When the meat is browned add sauce and mix.  Let cook for about a min.  Then add water and bring to a boil.  Add zuchini, tofu, green onions and egg.  Cover and cook for 2 min. 

Eat it straight out of the pot or transfer to a bowl.  It's so easy and satisfying!
It may not look like the picture on the package but it sure is delicious

11 comments:

  1. Discovered BCD soup starter over this weekend and it's a godsend. I like your suggestions and will try it.

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    1. Hi Tony,
      You won't be disappointed it's delicious :)

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  2. Replies
    1. Hi Sherry,
      I'm not sure... I don't have one at the moment😟 It seems like it would be. However, you should check the label when you find it 😋

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  3. Replies
    1. Hi Anybody Anyhow - Thanks for reading the label and clarifying that its not vegetarian.

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  4. Replies
    1. It seems to have gotten very popular. You can possibly request your grocer to bring it in. I usually find it next to the tofu in the produce department. Good Luck :)

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  5. This was so fun! I love your blog, they remind me of the things my mom used to make me when I was growing up

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    Replies
    1. Thank you riptide. I started this blog for my children and I'm happy that it can also bring warmth and memories to your kitchen too.

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  6. I came here looking for advice as the 5oz of water seemed like so little. It does work, although the end product had a more stew-like consistency. I concur on getting the Hot as the Medium doesn't seem very flavorful, and I'm not much into eating very hot food. The tofu is in a solid block, so if you want cubes, I would score it before adding.

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