Cook with Microgreens Recipe 2: Tanghoon Soup with Buckwheat Microgreens

Tang Hoon! Tang Hoon! Why do I love Tang Hoon so much? There was a period of time from when I was about 10 - 20 years old, my family and I were poor. Don't get me wrong, I had a lovely childhood, very happy, filled with good memories but it was a financial struggle for most of my teens. A long drawn legal battle and liquidation of our family's business and assets zapped our energy, ability to earn, time and resources. As my dad tried to rebuild the business again the '97 financial crisis hit, a second chance at building his own business was short lived. It was a perfect storm that made it extremely difficult for my parents to make ends meet. We were middle class but poor, not sure if that makes sense. And again, not that we were out on the streets. We were blessed with a roof over our head. But, we worried about how to pay for the house and expenses every day. We lived in great financial uncertainty. No safety nets.

Mum and dad would bake, cook and cater to earn some income. Dad was getting older but managed to get contract work to support the family while riding out the storm.. We had to be incredibly careful about how we spent money. I remember days mum would worry about marketing. I remember days when she would say, "I only have RM5 in my wallet". She was resourceful and a great good cook and because of her skills in the kitchen, she knew how to put delicious, nutritious meals on a tight budget.

Tang Hoon with chicken bones, ikan bilis stock and eggs was one of her go to dishes. She would include some type of gourd or cabbage into the Tang Hoon soup. And on days she had some extra time and resources she would pound some Sambal Belacan or fry some ikan bilis with onions and green chilli as side dishes. It was delicious. Warm, hearty filled with umami flavour because of her home-made stock. She made it a little peppery (with pepper) and the egg gave us a good source of protein. It went a long way too.

This is a dish etched in my mind, it does not remind me of the hardship. It reminds me of their strength as parents. It also reminds me of how we adapted and embraced ingredients and dishes from different cultures with such ease at home because my parents truly carried the metaphorical "Peranakan" spirit in them.

Tang Hoon is a popular and versatile Chinese ingredient.  About five years ago when I started revamping how we ate as a family and what we stocked in our pantry, I learnt from my dad about how Tang Hoon is actually a healthier choice as a noodle. Mostly made out of Mung Bean starch, it is lighter, a good source of protein and nutrition.

Today, because I've been growing heaps of Microgreens, I've adapted this dish to include Microgreens. Here is how I pull it together. Oh by the way, I cook by eyeballing. I decide on volume based on how many people I need to feed and what is lying in the pantry. So please, make adjustments accordingly. Please do not let the lack of precise measurements stop you from trying a simple recipe. Where I can, I will try my best to share measurements.

Ingredients

• Stock - Have just enough to cover the Tang Hoon. Like my mum, I now make huge batches of chicken and ikan bilis stock at home. We freeze it in batches and take it out when we need it. I will share a recipe another time.
• Tang Hoon - soak in hot water for a few minutes to soften. Do this while frying garlic.
• Shallots - chopped, about 4 per packet.
• Garlic - chopped, about 5-6 cloves per packet.
• Eggs - 1 per person
• Microgreens - I like Buckwheat or Sunflower Microgreens in this.
• Shredded boiled or roasted chicken meat if you are feeling a little lavish.
• Coconut oil - yes, I use coconut oil even when cooking Chinese dishes. Some may gasp at this, I do not think it has impacted flavour and it is a healthier choice.
• White pepper, salt and soya sauce to taste.

1. Fry the garlic and shallots until aromatic
2. Pour chicken and ikan bilis stock and bring to boil.
3. Place the softened Tang Hoon.
4. Crack some eggs into the boiling stock. Do not fuss over or stir the eggs. Just let it boil.
5. Season with salt, pepper and soya sauce.
6. Turn off the heat and add your microgreens and shredded chicken.

Enjoy!!! This would work great as a hot pot dish too.

For more recipes, click to see Raita with Sunflower Microgreens and Quinoa, Daikon Radish Microgreens and Tapioca Salad.

If you'd like to grow your own microgreens, you can bulk order our Mighty Microgreens Kits! They'd also make a great gift for your community, employees or students.

Nova Nelson

I’m a Social Entrepreneur, Permaculture Designer, a gardening coach, content creator and educator. I started Cultivate Central as a solo enterprise. It started as a blog about my journey in Permaculture Design. It then evolved and grew into a small social enterprise. Today, I focus on creating regenerative food gardens, developing and delivering educational experiences, championing vermicomposting and building collaborative community programmes with organisations, corporates, developers and schools, with a small but talented team. I’m passionate about helping them embark on a journey of earth care centred on building regenerative food systems and cultures.

How did I find myself doing what I do? Read my story here.