Asian Tofu Vegetable Soup Recipe

TL;DR

This soup is somewhat based on my bok choy soup, but it doesn't include oil. It's a dump and cook soup.

I usually like to throw in a red cabbage, baby bok choy, green onion and corn combination because these vegetables cook through fast, and they elevate the aesthetics of this soup.

Nonetheless, you are free to use other vegetables such as green cabbage, napa cabbage, broccoli, baby corn, spinach, yard-long-beans, bell pepper, carrot, red amaranth, to just name a few.

That way, for example, you get to clear up your fridge so that you don't waste produce (zero waste/sustainable).

Ingredient Notes

This soup doesn't include salt and pepper. The broth and soy sauce are salty enough and instead of black pepper, we use the Sichuan pepper.

• Baby Bok Choy
• Red Cabbage
• Green Onion (Scallions/Spring Onions) — Separate bulbs and stalks, to slice each separately. The stalks are used fresh to top the soup and the bulbs add flavor.
• Corn — Fresh, canned or frozen.
• Broth — I like beef or chicken broth, but if you are on a plant-based diet, go for a vegetable broth. If you don't have liquid broth, mix a bouillon cube with hot water.
• Vinegar — Rice vinegar is best suited as it's milder, or else use white wine vinegar mixed with a small quantity of water.
• Brown Sugar — To balance the tart vinegar and salty soy sauce flavors.
• Ginger Garlic — Either add ginger garlic paste, which is the best option to mix in, or finely grate your ginger and garlic (ratio is 1:2, ginger:garlic).
• Soy Sauce — Regular classic soy sauce will do. I use Kikkoman.
• Star Anise — Just a corner to mimic Vietnamese Pho flavors.
• Sichuan Pepper — Chinese, Japanese, or Indian Sichuan pepper variety. Be careful how many you add because each variety has a different intensity.
• Sesame Seeds — to top the soup. I like to use white and black sesame seeds for aesthetics.
• Red Pepper Flakes — to top the soup.

Process Overview

Step 1

Prep and slice the bok choy and red cabbage. Separate green onion bulbs and stalks and slice each. Cut the tofu into cubes.

Step 2

Pour broth into a pot and heat it up.

Drop the tofu, sliced vegetables (except green onion stalks) and corn into the cooking broth.

Step 3

Season with vinegar, brown sugar, ginger garlic, soy sauce and drop the star anise corner and Sichuan pepper seeds into the soup.

Mix your soup well and cover to cook.

Step 4

Simmer down until the vegetables are cooked and you are satisfied with the flavor. This can take 10–20 minutes.

Take out whole spices (star anise corner and Sichuan pepper) and discard.

Step 5

Serve up the soup and top with sliced green onion stalks, red pepper flakes and sesame seeds.

Serving

This soup is a great lighter meal option. You may want to serve it with some carbs, such as bread. I like whole wheat breads with this soup.

Technically, you can serve this soup as a starter to a conventional Asian meal. In that case, reduce the serving size.

Storing

This soup can be added to your meal prepping menu rotation as it stores well in the fridge for several days. Additionally, you can batch it to freeze it in airtight containers.

Refrigerated, the soup will keep for 5 days at least and frozen for 2 months.

To thaw, keep in the fridge overnight or defrost with the microwave oven function. You can place the frozen soup into a pot to gradually reheat as well.