Tofu and Vegetable Soup (Printable version)

Light Asian-style soup with silken tofu, fresh vegetables, and aromatic broth ready in 30 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Broth

01 - 6.3 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 - 10.6 ounces silken tofu, cubed

→ Garnish

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

# Directions:

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 over medium heat.
03 - Add julienned carrot, sliced shiitake mushrooms, and bell pepper strips. Simmer for 5 minutes.
04 - Add chopped bok choy and sliced spring onions. Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes until vegetables reach tender consistency.
05 - Gently add silken tofu cubes to the pot. Simmer for an additional 2 minutes, handling carefully to preserve tofu structure.
06 - Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with additional soy sauce or tamari as needed.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls. Top with fresh cilantro leaves, toasted sesame seeds, and a squeeze of lime juice if desired. Serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's ready in half an hour, perfect for weeknights when you want something warm but don't have energy to fuss.
  • The silken tofu stays so creamy and delicate that even people who think they don't like tofu end up asking for the recipe.
  • You can swap vegetables based on what's in your fridge, so it never feels boring or wasteful.
02 -
  • Silken tofu is fragile and will crumble if you stir it too much or add it to aggressively boiling water—treat it gently and it rewards you with that silky texture that makes people close their eyes while eating.
  • The vegetables cook at different speeds, so adding them in waves rather than all at once means everything finishes at the right moment instead of some pieces being mushy while others are still raw.
03 -
  • Slice your ginger paper-thin and leave the pieces visible so people can remove them if they want less intensity—it gives control back to whoever is eating.
  • The soup actually tastes better the next day after the flavors have had time to get to know each other, so don't hesitate to make a double batch and have it waiting for tired evenings.
Go back