I honestly never ate sup kambing even before I became vegan because mutton is super gross. But my father often enjoys this dish, and I’ve been missing him a lot lately. Somehow, eating it makes me feel a little closer to him. It’s been raining for days and I’ve discovered the comfort that this heavily-spiced soup brings. Paired with a baguette, this is a great dish to eat with your hands and share with somebody you love.
The Singaporean version of sup kambing is very simply: sup and kambing, soup and mutton. The Indonesian version is slightly more healthy, with some carrot and potato. Otherwise, the rest of the recipe is pretty much the same. I’m going with the Indo version because my mum always says to eat more vegetables.
A very important aspect of this dish is the bawang goreng, or fried shallots. It somehow just ties everything together at the end. Some people make a big batch of bawang goreng beforehand and store it in the fridge, but I like to make mine fresh so that the dish can have the extra fragrance of the onion oil.
For this vegan sup kambing, I used Meat Magic, a product of the Philippines, which has an amazing meaty texture. If you want a gluten-free option, you can use tofu or king oyster mushrooms, or just have it with vegetables! The original recipe calls for candlenuts, which I cannot get here. I have replaced it with half a tsp of annatto seeds, which have a slightly nutty, sweet flavour.
The beginning steps of this recipe are a little finicky, but once you get through that, it’s just a matter of leaving the soup to sit on the stove.
Ingredients
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For Spice Powder
- For Spice Paste
- For Tempering
- Main Ingredients
Instructions
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Put all the spice powder ingredients in a pan. If you have whole seeds use the whole seeds, and if you have powdered versions use those. Heat the spice powder ingredients over low heat and toast until fragrant.
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Blend the spice paste ingredients in a blender. Slice the remaining shallots or red onion. Slice the green chillies, removing the seeds if you don't want the soup to be too spicy.
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Heat 2 tbsp of oil over medium heat in a non-stick pot, and fry the shallots / red onion slowly until browned, taking care not to burn them. Set this fried onion (bawang goreng) aside for later and keep the oil in the pot.
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Add the blended spice paste in the pot and fry it gently until fragrant, darkened and thickened.
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Move the spice paste to the sides and add the tempering spices in the middle. If you need, you can add another half to one tbsp of oil over these spices. Fry until fragrant.
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Add the spice powder, do the boogie woogie, and mix it all about.
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Mix it about until it looks freaking delicious. Then add 600ml of water with 1 tsp of vegetable stock granules (or vegetable stock).
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Bring to boil. Put in your carrots, potatoes, and Meat Magic. Turn the heat down and leave it to simmer for about 20 minutes.
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The soup should be reduced and super tasty by now. Add salt, sugar, or pepper to taste.
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Remove the large whole spices. You can also strain the soup to remove the smaller spices, but I usually just leave them. Top the soup with the bawang goreng and a handful of coriander if you have it.
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Serve with crusty bread.
