Filipino Arroz Caldo

This savory rice porridge is Filipino comfort food at its best - the Filipino equivalent to American chicken noodle soup. Filipino moms prepare piping hot bowls of this nourishing porridge as an antidote to the sniffles. Arroz Caldo is traditionally made with chicken, but here we’ve used tofu as the protein in our vegan version. Our family recipe also calls for a pinch of turmeric.

Filipino Arroz Caldo

Course

Main
Prep time

10 Mins
cook time

1 Hour
servings

6
Author

@plantbased.passport

Ingredients

2 tbsp plus 1 tbsp neutral oil, divided
5 garlic cloves sliced thinly, plus 5 garlic cloves (minced), divided
1 14- oz pack extra firm tofu
2 tbsp plus 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tbsp ginger, minced
1 cup Lotus Foods Organic White Jasmine Rice
9½ cups water or as needed
2 tsp vegetable bouillon
¼ tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt or as needed
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper or as needed
green onions sliced, to serve
lemon slices, to serve

product used in the recipe

Organic White Jasmine Rice

1

Fry the garlic topping: in a pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add sliced garlic and fry until golden brown and crisp (~2-3 mins). Transfer fried garlic to a paper towel to drain.
2

Cook the tofu: add tofu to the pot and pour over 2 tbsp soy sauce. Pan-fry until golden brown. Set aside.
3

Cook the vegetables: add remaining 1 tbsp oil to pot. Add onion and ginger and cook until onions are golden brown (~7 mins). Add minced garlic and cook 1-2 mins, or until fragrant.
4

Cook the rice: add rice, water, vegetable bouillon, turmeric and remaining 2 tbsp soy sauce and stir to combine. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook for 35-40 mins, or until the rice grains have expanded and have begun to break down, the broth has thickened, and a porridge-like texture is achieved. Season with salt and pepper and stir in tofu. The porridge will thicken over time, so adjust water and seasoning as needed.
5

Top with green onions and fried sliced garlic and serve with lemon slices.