Spring Tofu Soup

By Alison Roman

Published April 29, 2020

Spring Tofu Soup
Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott for The New York Times. Prop Stylist: Kalen Kaminski.
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(2,184)
Comments
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This versatile (coincidentally vegan) soup can be customized with most quick-cooking vegetables — thinly sliced asparagus could easily be thinly sliced turnips or radishes — and whatever tofu you have access to. If tofu isn’t your thing, this soup would also be a great place to add any leftover chicken to warm through or shrimp to cook in the broth. The lemon at the end will breathe a lot of much-needed life into this broth built mostly from pantry staples, but a splash of rice wine vinegar would also do the trick.

Featured in: The Lightest, Brothiest Soup for When You Can’t Eat Another Bite

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 3garlic cloves, finely grated or chopped
  • 1jalapeño, finely grated or chopped
  • 2lemons
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4cups vegetable or chicken broth
  • ¼cup soy sauce
  • 10ounces mushrooms, such as enoki, white button, cremini or oyster
  • 1bunch asparagus, ends trimmed, thinly sliced
  • 1½cups peas (fresh or frozen)
  • 1(12- to 14-ounce) package soft tofu, drained, or use firm tofu, cut in bite-size pieces
  • Olive oil, for drizzling
  • 4scallions, very thinly sliced, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

395 calories; 20 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 32 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 11 grams sugars; 30 grams protein; 1399 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine garlic and jalapeño in a small bowl. Finely zest the lemons, and add zest to the bowl with the jalapeño mixture. (Reserve the lemons for juicing.) Season heavily with salt and pepper. Set aside.

  2. Step 2

    In a large pot, bring broth and soy sauce to a simmer, and season with salt and pepper.

  3. Step 3

    Add mushrooms and simmer until they’re just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add asparagus, peas and half the jalapeño mixture, and season the broth again with salt and pepper. Cook vegetables until they’re bright green and starting to float, 2 to 4 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    To serve, spoon a large piece of tofu into each bowl. (Alternatively, scoop tofu into the pot, breaking it into large pieces.) Top with more of the jalapeño mixture, and ladle the broth and vegetables over.

  5. Step 5

    Drizzle with olive oil and scatter with scallions before serving.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
2,184 user ratings
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Comments

Janet

Substitute SESAME OIL for the Olive Oil

tina

I would suggest using sesame oil at the end instead of olive oil.

Prakash Nadkarni

The lemon zest-garlic-pepper-jalapeno combination (a brilliant touch, IMHO) is inspired by gremolata (zest, garlic, parsley). So chili-phobes can skip the jalapeno: substitute any herbs that you have around - mint, parsley and cilantro come to mind as complementing East Asian flavors. Some minced ginger might be nice. When Vietnamese serve pho, all condiments are served on the side, to be added according to taste. Follow the same approach here.

Haley

I made a triple batch of this and tried both sesame oil and olive oil at the end, over the course of a few days. I will say, I understand the use of the olive oil. It does complement the brightness of the lemon zest. I didn't dislike it. But when I ate it with sesame oil the next time (and chili crisp), it made me want to eat nothing else for the rest of my life. Sorry, team olive oil.

Emile

We have made this numerous times. It’s really a nice flavorful dish. Once we added Morrell mushrooms we had harvest up by Moscow, Idaho. Highly recommended!

pnwsnackqueen

I forgot to add any oil, and it was still delish.

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