Hearty Vegetable Tofu Soup
Updated January 27, 2026
Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
- Ready In
- 40 min
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1 medium white or yellow onion (about 10 ounces), quartered and then thinly sliced
2 medium to large carrots (about 6 ounces), sliced thinly on the diagonal
1 pound daikon radish, halved or quartered lengthwise then thinly sliced
Salt
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 (2-inch) piece unpeeled fresh ginger, finely chopped
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
3 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons soy sauce, plus more if desired
4 cups chopped Napa cabbage or bok choy, lightly packed (8 to 10 ounces)
1 cup cooked brown rice, or other grain of your choice
1 tablespoon white miso paste, plus more if desired
1 lemon, halved
12 ounces silken or soft tofu, drained
Chopped cilantro, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
48 grams carbs; 11 milligrams cholesterol; 404 calories; 8 grams monosaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 16 grams fat; 7 grams fiber; 1989 milligrams sodium; 21 grams protein; 16 grams sugar
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
- Step 1
Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high. Add the onion, carrots and daikon; season with salt and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables start to soften, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Step 2
Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring vigorously, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Step 3
Add the stock, mushrooms and soy sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook until the mushrooms relax and bend easily like a ribbon, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Step 4
Add the cabbage and rice and simmer just until the cabbage softens, about 3 minutes. Then turn off the heat.
- Step 5
In a small bowl, whisk the miso with a few tablespoons of the hot broth until dissolved and stir into the soup. Juice the lemon halves into the soup, stir and season the soup to taste with salt, miso or soy.
- Step 6
To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and add chunks of tofu into the broth. Top with cilantro and a drizzle of olive oil.
Private Notes
Comments
This lovely soup is a sodium bomb - almost an entire day’s suggested salt intake for one day in one serving. But this can be mitigated with no loss in flavor by using low sodium broth, lower sodium soy sauce or tamari sauce or amino acids and using the miso to taste. Especially with foods that are spicier it is possible to cut back on the salt considerably and let the spices do the heavy lifting..
Wonderful combination of flavors, a hit with the dinner crowd. Lovely served over buckwheat soba noodles instead of rice. Added the tofu to the broth before serving to warm it, added some kaffir lime leaves to broaden the lemon flavor. Subbed in cauliflower for the daikon. Warm and pungent on a winter day!
Anyone try to use common red radishes in place of daikon? Would that work? I’m often looking for ways to use them, beyond sliced in salads.
this recipe is featured in an article about low sodium recipes published march 19, 2026. however, it contains soy sauce, miso paste, and chicken or veg stock. in the quantities specified in the recipe, this amounts to 4000 mg, 5400 mg, and 600 mg, respectively, of sodium for each of these ingredients, 10,000 mg in total and 2500 mg per serving. as the recommended total daily intake of sodium for a normal adult is 2300 mg, this is hardly a low sodium dish!
Used soft tofu for some of it, but then for leftovers used cannellini beans. Delicious!
Love all the veggies but I am finding it bland. Am adding lots more ginger, miso, and garlic.