Tofu and Vegetable Soup (Printable)

Light Asian-style soup with silken tofu and mixed vegetables in delicate broth

# Components:

→ Broth

01 - 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
02 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce, or tamari for gluten-free
03 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, thinly sliced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 teaspoon sesame oil

→ Vegetables

06 - 1 medium carrot, peeled and julienned
07 - 3.5 ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced
08 - 3.5 ounces baby bok choy, chopped
09 - 1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
10 - 2 spring onions, sliced

→ Tofu

11 - 10.5 ounces silken tofu, cubed

→ Garnish

12 - Fresh cilantro leaves, optional
13 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, optional
14 - Lime wedges, optional

# Steps:

01 - Heat sesame oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sliced ginger, sautéing for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
02 - Pour vegetable broth and soy sauce into the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer.
03 - Add carrot, shiitake mushrooms, and red bell pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes.
04 - Add bok choy and spring onions, cooking for another 2-3 minutes until vegetables are just tender.
05 - Gently add silken tofu cubes to the pot. Simmer for an additional 2 minutes, being careful not to break up the tofu.
06 - Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with additional soy sauce if needed.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cilantro, sesame seeds, and a squeeze of lime if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than you'd believe, so weeknight dinner stress actually melts away.
  • The broth tastes sophisticated without requiring any complicated techniques or hard-to-find ingredients.
  • Tofu becomes genuinely delicious here instead of invisible, because it's treated with respect and paired with flavors that make it shine.
02 -
  • Silken tofu is delicate and will fall apart if you stir aggressively or let the broth boil; treating it gently means the difference between silky spoonfuls and a cloudy disappointment.
  • Adding all your vegetables at once means they'll have different textures—some will be almost mushy while others stay crisp, which sounds chaotic but actually creates the charm of this dish.
03 -
  • Pre-slice all your vegetables before you start cooking—once the broth is simmering, you don't want to be chopping frantically.
  • If you want more body to the soup, whisk a tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of cold water and stir it in just before adding the tofu, but only if your broth feels too thin to you.
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