Soups are a perfect comfort meal during the chilliest winter days. It not only makes for a hearty meal but is packed with all healthy things. To make the holiday season warm and delicious, I have an easy tofu soup recipe for you.
Tofu soup is an Asian-inspired dish that is super easy to make with a handful of ingredients. It takes less than 20 minutes to prepare it, and you can also customize it with your favorite ingredients. Moreover, besides all the junk food that we tend to indulge in during the holiday season, this soup will pack in all the health for you.
To make tofu soup we need ingredients like tofu, mushrooms, cilantro, ginger, garlic, vegetable stock, and some seasoning spices. But you can also add many more ingredients to this list to your liking. Some of the options include chicken, shrimp, eggs, noodles, bell peppers, broccoli, peas, and corn.
Doesn’t this soup already sound exciting to you? Well, then, let’s get down to making it.
What Equipment Will You Need To Make Tofu Soup?
- Pan – You will need a pan to prepare the soup.
- Ladle – A ladle will help you mix all the ingredients.
- Knife – A knife will be needed to cut the vegetables.
- Soup Bowl – A soup bowl will be needed to serve the soup.
How Much Time Will You Need To Make Tofu Soup?
| Preparation Time | Cook Time | Total Time |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Minutes | 15 Minutes | 20 Minutes |
What Ingredients Will You Need To Make Tofu Soup?
- Tofu – Tofu is the main ingredient in this soup. Depending on your taste, you can use any type of tofu for this soup. But in this recipe, we are using 9 ounces of firm or extra-firm tofu. If you prefer soft or silken tofu, you can also use that.
- Mushrooms – Mushrooms lend a beautiful umami taste. In this recipe, we will be using 8 ounces of white, brown, or portobello.
- Dried Mushrooms – To intensify the umaminess of this soup, we will also use ¾ cup of dried mushrooms. Here we are using mixed dried mushrooms like shiitake, dried porcini, or dried oyster mushrooms. Keep in mind to soak these mushrooms before use in a cup of hot water for 5 minutes. Additionally, their soaking water should also be added to the soup.
- Ginger – To add an earthy flavor to the soup, we will add one and a half inches of ginger.
- Garlic – We also add three cloves of finely chopped or grated garlic.
- Red Chili Pepper – To add more heat to this soup, we will add half a teaspoon of red chili pepper.
- Oil – We will use one tablespoon of olive oil for cooking the ginger, garlic, and chili. You can also replace olive oil with any other vegetable oil.
- Soy Sauce – To make the soup more flavorful, we will add one tablespoon of soy sauce. For a gluten-free alternative, you can also replace it with tamari sauce.
- Vegetable Broth – Soups are incomplete without flavorful vegetable broth. So, we will use 4 cups of vegetable broth.
- Salt and Black Pepper – We will also add salt and pepper depending on personal preferences.
- Cilantro and Scallion – Cilantro and scallion or spring onion bring a lot of freshness to any dish. Therefore, we will garnish our soup using these two ingredients. You can also replace these with other herbs like parsley, lemongrass, green onions, and chives.
- Sesame Oil – Sesame oil has a mild nutty flavor. Although this step is completely optional, you can add a few drops of sesame oil on top of the soup before serving to savor some nutty flavors.
Steps To Make Tofu Soup
1. Prepare The Mushrooms
Start by soaking the dried mushrooms for 5 minutes in a bowl of warm water and chop the fresh mushrooms into chunks. Take a large pan and sauté chopped garlic, ginger, and red chili pepper in olive oil on low heat.
Remove the dried mushrooms from the water and save the water in which the mushrooms were soaked for later use. You can cut the mushrooms into smaller pieces if they are too big in size. Add these mushrooms to the pan.
Now add soy sauce, salt, and pepper to mushrooms and cook in the pan for 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Keep stirring the mushrooms to prevent them from sticking.
2. Make the Soup
Add vegetable stock to the pan and the water left from the soaked mushrooms. Make sure to sieve the water. Let the water come to a light simmer. Add diced tofu and your choice of chopped vegetables. You can also add rice noodles at this point. Allow the soup to sit on low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked.
Add salt and pepper according to your taste and serve in a bowl. Garnish the soup with cilantro, scallions, and sesame oil (optional).
Nutritional Information
| Calories | 171 Kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 15 g |
| Protein | 10 g |
| Fat | 9 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3 g |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 4 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Potassium | 410 mg |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Vitamin A | 1152IU |
| Vitamin C | 21 mg |
| Calcium | 114 mg |
| Iron | 3 mg |
How Will Tofu Soup Look and Taste Like?
Soup season is here! They are the coziest and comforting meals filled with aromatic flavor to warm us up on cold winter nights. Brimming with rich and savory flavor, you should try out this tofu soup recipe that can be enjoyed all on its own.
This soup is super flavorful and comes with a delicious umami flavor derived from mushrooms. This soup is hands down my favorite recipe and packs in loads of nutrition from all the vegetables.
Recipe Card
Tofu Soup Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Dried Mushrooms Mixed (Shitake, Porcini)
- 8 ounces Mushrooms white, brown, or portobello
- 3 Cloves finely chopped or grated
- 1 or ½ inches Ginger peeled and finely chopped
- 9 ounces Firm Tofu
- 3 Scallions Finely Chopped
- 1 handful Cilantro Coarsely Chopped
- ½ teaspoon Red Chili or Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 4 cups Vegetable Broth
- 2 teaspoons Sesame Oil (optional)
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
Vegetables (Pick two or more)
- 1 cup Snow Peas
- 1 cup Asparagus
- 1 cup Broccoli
- 1 cup Zucchini
- 1 cup Bell Pepper
- ¾ cup Frozen Peas
- 3 handful Spinach
- 7 ounces Rice Noodles (Optional)
Instructions
- Start by soaking the dried mushrooms in a bowl with warm water for 5 minutes and chop the fresh mushrooms into chunks. Take a large pan and sauté chopped garlic, ginger, and red chili pepper in olive oil on low heat.
- Remove the dried mushrooms from the water and save the water in which the mushrooms were soaked for later use. You can cut the mushrooms into smaller pieces if they are too big in size. Add these mushrooms into the pan.
- Now add soy sauce, salt, and pepper to mushrooms and cook in the pan for 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Keep stirring the mushrooms to prevent them from sticking.
- Add vegetable stock to the pan and the water left from the soaked mushrooms. Make sure to sieve the water. Let the water come to a light simmer.
- Add diced tofu, and your choice of chopped vegetables. You can also add rice noodles at this point. Let the soup simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked.
- Add salt and pepper according to your taste and serve in a bowl. Garnish the soup with cilantro, scallions, and sesame oil(optional).
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How much time does it take to prepare Tofu soup?
Tofu soup takes only 20 minutes to make.
What kind of tofu is best for this soup?
To make this soup, you can use any kind of tofu. While silken tofu is used in Chinese soups, you can use firm tofu or extra firm tofu in any type of soup.
Can you put raw tofu in soup?
Yes, you can use raw tofu in the soup. Let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes to release its flavor.
How do you cut tofu for soups?
You can dice firm and extra firm tofu. Soft tofu and silken tofu can be spooned out of their box and added to the soup instead of cutting them with a knife.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this recipe as much as I did share it. Try it out and tell me how they turned out to be in the comments section below.
