Makes 4 servings

Paste:

• 1 cup rice bran oil
• 1/3 cup flaked smoked trout
• 5 cloves garlic (2 tablespoons minced)
• 1 ½ teaspoons white peppercorns, dry roasted and ground
• 1 teaspoon red miso

Soup:

• 4 cups vegetable broth infused with ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (substitute with gluten free soy sauce)
• 3 to 4 kinds of seasonal vegetables to make a total of 4 cups.  Example vegetables include cubed pumpkin; squash blossoms; peeled and thinly sliced summer Chinese melon; peeled and thinly sliced cucumber, thinly sliced okra: thinly sliced green beans; sliced mushrooms
• ½ cup fresh Thai basil or peppermint leaves

1. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over high heat until it begins to smoke, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add the smoke trout and fry until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pieces of trout from the oil to a plate lined with paper towels to cool.
4. Pound the fried trout in a mortar with a pestle into a pulp.
5. Add the garlic and pepper to the mortar and pound into a paste.
6. Add the miso to the mortar and mix well. Set the mixture aside.
7. Bring the broth to a boil in a large saucepan.
8. Add the paste, stir and then add the salt, and fish sauce.
9. When the broth comes to a boil, add the vegetables, starting with film flesh ones first to cook before adding the tender ones.
10. Lower the heat and let the soup cook until the vegetables are cooked and tender.
11. Stir in the basil.
12. Turn off the heat.
13. Ladle the soup into individual soup bowls and served with brown or red Thai organic rice.