Veganuary: Cook a plant-based crowd-pleaser with The Happy Pear

Pledged to eat more plants this year? To celebrate Veganuary - which last year saw a whopping 1.8 million people go vegan for January and beyond - plant-based trailblazers David and Stephen Flynn share a winter-warmer recipe from latest cookbook 20, a collation of favourite dishes from the twins’ two decades as The Happy Pear

Crispy Tofu Thai Noodle Soup
Serves: 2–3

Say The Happy Pear: “Our kids love this! It’s a super-tasty soup, straightforward to make and packed full of flavour. It makes a great dinner as well as lunch, and it’s also good eaten cold for a meal on the go.”

Ingredients:
Crispy tofu:
200g firm tofu
2 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp garlic powder
1.5 tbsp oil
Soup:
200g rice noodles
Veg:
1 red bell pepper
1 carrot
3 scallions or green onions
1 handful of fresh coriander
Yellow curry paste sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1 red chilli
1 stalk lemongrass
Juice 1 lime
1 tbsp maple syrup
15g fresh coriander (just the stalks)
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp tamari
1 x 400ml can coconut milk
400ml veg stock
Garnishes:
Fresh lime wedges
Red chilli
Peanuts

Method:

Prep the tofu: Cut the tofu into long rectangular chunks, about 4cm x 1cm. In a bowl, toss the tofu with the tamari, cornstarch and garlic powder until evenly coated. Place the tofu cubes in an air-fryer basket, making sure they are not touching each other for better airflow. Toss the tofu lightly in the oil. Air fry at 200°C (390°F) for about 12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until the tofu is golden brown and crispy. Set aside.

Prep the noodles: Cook the rice noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process, then set aside.

Prep the veg: Finely slice the red pepper and the carrot, slice the green onions into rounds and finely chop the coriander including the stalk. Keep some of the green onions and coriander back to garnish.

Make the soup: Place all the ingredients for the yellow curry paste sauce into a blender and blend until smooth. Add to a pot and bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes to allow the flavours to meld together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble: Divide the cooked noodles between the serving bowls. Ladle the hot soup over the noodles, making sure to distribute the vegetables equally. Top each bowl with a portion of the crispy air-fried tofu.

Garnish and serve: Garnish with the reserved sliced green onions and chopped coriander, lime wedges and sliced red chilli, if using. Serve immediately, encouraging everyone to squeeze some lime juice over their soup to enhance the flavours.

Tip: If you don’t have an air fryer, you can bake the tofu in an oven preheated to 200°C fan/425°F/gas 7 for about 15 minutes, or pan fry it for 5 minutes.

The Happy Pear 20: Recipes and learnings from the first 20 years by David and Stephen Flynn is out now in hardback, published by Gill and priced £23.99