A street-style Indo-Chinese favourite with bold garlic flavour, crunchy vegetables, dark soy richness, and crispy fried noodles on top. The Ember Cast Iron Dutch Oven holds the broth at a steady simmer while retaining high heat across the surface, helping the vegetables cook quickly without losing their bite. Hot, spicy, and deeply comforting, this is the soup most people finish before the starter even arrives.
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Total time: 35 mins
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients for the Soup
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2 tbsp oil
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6 garlic Cloves, finely chopped
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1 inch of Ginger, finely chopped
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2 Green chillies, finely chopped
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½ cup Cabbage, finely shredded
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½ cup Carrots, finely chopped
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¼ cup Capsicum, finely chopped
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¼ cup French beans, finely chopped
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¼ cup Spring onion whites, chopped
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2 tbsp Soy sauce
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1 tbsp Red chilli sauce
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1 tsp Vinegar
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1 tsp Black pepper powder
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4 cups Vegetable stock or water
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1 tbsp Cornflour mixed with 3 tbsp water
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Salt to taste
For Garnish
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Spring onion greens, finely chopped
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Fried noodles
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A drizzle of chilli oil, optional
Method
Step 1
Preheat the Ember Cast Iron Dutch Oven on high flame for 2 minutes.
Step 2
Add oil, chopped garlic, ginger, and green chillies. Stir fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Step 3
Add the cabbage, carrots, capsicum, french beans, and spring onion whites. Cook on high flame for 2 to 3 minutes while stirring continuously. The vegetables should stay slightly crisp and not turn soft.
Step 4
Add the soy sauce, red chilli sauce, vinegar, black pepper powder, and salt. Mix well until the vegetables are evenly coated.
Step 5
Pour in the vegetable stock or water and bring to a boil on medium-high flame.
Step 6
Once boiling, reduce the flame slightly and slowly pour in the cornflour slurry while stirring continuously. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the soup thickens slightly and turns glossy.
Step 7
Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or vinegar if needed. The soup should taste spicy, savoury, and slightly sharp.
Step 8
Serve hot directly from the Ember Cast Iron Dutch Oven, topped with fried noodles, spring onion greens, and a drizzle of chilli oil.
Note
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Keep the vegetables slightly crisp while cooking. The fresh crunch is what gives Veg Munchow Soup its signature restaurant-style texture.
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Pour the cornflour slurry in slowly while stirring continuously. This helps the soup thicken evenly without forming lumps.
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Add the vinegar near the end of cooking. This keeps the flavour bright and prevents the sharpness from cooking away.
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Cooking it too long reduces its sharpness and affects the balance of flavours.
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Serve the fried noodles only at the time of serving. Adding them too early causes them to lose their crunch in the hot soup.