Vegetable Tofu Soup

Tofu soup is an Asian soup that can complement your Asian meals. It is served as an appetizer and is also very comforting when you have a cold or sore throat. This is a vegan and gluten-free tofu soup that can be made in the instant pot or on the stovetop.

It is really very easy to make this vegetable tofu soup with silken tofu in just under 30 minutes. It is perfect for spring, fall, or winter and can be made ahead of time for meal prep.

Ingredients

This is a vegetarian tofu soup and does not have eggs. It is savory and mildly spicy in taste.

It is made with silken tofu, fresh vegetables, dark soy sauce, ginger-garlic, seasoning, and some toasted sesame oil cooked in vegetable broth.

I have used mushrooms, broccoli, spinach, and green onions. I have used baby bella mushrooms but other varieties like shiitake or button mushrooms can be used as well.

It is a versatile soup and you can use veggies of your choice like baby corn and bamboo shoots. Some onion greens are used for garnishing.

The dark color of the soup comes from dark soy sauce. If you use the regular sauce it will still have a perfect flavor but the color of the soup will be light.

Cornstarch slurry makes this soup thick. It is made by mixing some cornstarch with water until there are no lumps.

Some chili sauce and pepper make the soup spicy and you can adjust the amount as well based on how spicy you want the soup to be.

Instructions

This vegetable tofu soup can be easily made in the instant pot or on the stovetop which will need some monitoring.

To make the tofu soup in the instant pot, first, turn the saute mode on, and once it is hot, add some oil. Saute the ginger and garlic and then add mushrooms. Add the vegetable broth, soy sauce, and salt, and give it a quick stir. Deglaze the bottom of the instant pot with a spatula.

Pressure cook on high-pressure mode for 5 minutes. Instant pot will take some time to come to pressure and then count down to 5 minutes. Perform a quick release by moving the pressure release knob to the venting position until the silver pin drops.

Turn the saute mode on and mix in the broccoli florets, spinach, and white pepper. Once it comes to a boil and the broccoli florets are tender, add the cornstarch slurry to the soup, a spoon at a time until the soup is of desired consistency.

Finally, add the silken tofu cubes to the soup and gently stir it. Garnish the soup with some green onion greens while serving.

To make the vegetable tofu soup on the stovetop, take a large pot and saute the ginger and garlic in toasted sesame oil on medium flame. Then saute the mushrooms and add the vegetable broth, broccoli florets, salt, and dark soy sauce.

Let it simmer on medium-high heat until the broccoli florets are tender. Add the spinach and the cornstarch slurry as needed to get the desired consistency. Finally, add the soft tofu to the soup and gently stir it. Add some pepper and onion greens while serving.

Variations

The only ingredient that contains gluten in the soup is the dark soy sauce. To make it gluten-free, soy sauce can be replaced by tamari sauce.

It is a versatile soup and you can use veggies of your choice like baby corn and bamboo shoots. Some onion greens are used for garnishing.

Some chili sauce and pepper make the soup spicy and you can adjust the amount as well based on how spicy you want the soup to be.

Serving suggestions

This soft tofu soup can be served with rice, wild rice, brown rice, or noodles. It can also be served with other Asian dishes like lo mein and fried rice.

Equipment

I have made this tofu soup in the 6 qt. instant pot and it can be made in the 3 qt. instant pot as well. You can make a larger batch of soup in the 6 qt. or bigger instant pots.

While making it on the stovetop, a large pot of at least 3 qt. capacity is ideal to make this soup.

Storage

Tofu soup can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days in an air-tight container. You can make this soup ahead of time for meal planning. When you are ready to serve, simply reheat the soup in the microwave, stovetop, or in the instant pot.

Due to the cornstarch slurry, the soup may become a little thick after refrigerating so if needed, you can add some water or vegetable broth while reheating it to regain the desired consistency.

FAQ

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