Tofu soup combines a flavorful broth with crisp vegetables and bite-sized tofu pieces. It’s a wonderful dinner recipe, ready in about 30 minutes.
The best part is that you can customize it with your favorite seasonal vegetables – we show you options for all seasons.
Table of Contents
Introduction
There are many ways of making tofu soup, from Korean soondubu jjigae to Japanese Miso soup.
Our tofu soup is an Asian-inspired dish but it’s not authentic in any way 🍜.
It builds on what Louise and I learned as food bloggers and home-cooks making hundreds of healthy soups and easy tofu recipes, and reading your valuable feedback.
We wanted to make a soup that doesn’t have to simmer for hours to get flavorful.
Also, we wanted a good balance of proteins and vegetables in a dish that’s healthy yet tasty and fulfilling.
Now, for those of you with a big hunger (like myself 🙋🏻♂️) we recommend adding noodles or a ramen-style soft-boiled egg. SO good!
Similar to many of our tofu recipes such as our popular fried tofu, marinated tofu, and tofu curry you can make this in about 30 minutes. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Find complete ingredient list, quantities, and substitutions in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
- Tofu: you can use most types of tofu including firm, extra firm, soft, or silken.
- Mushrooms: pick your favorite; white or brown, portobello, cremini, or oyster.
- Dried mushrooms: for extra umami. You can use generic dried mushrooms, dried shiitake or dried porcini.
- Flavor base: with olive oil, garlic, red chili pepper, and ginger. Substitute a teaspoon of gochujang for red chili.
- Soy sauce: substitute tamari sauce for gluten-free.
- Vegetable broth: or any other broth.
- Vegetables: go for seasonal veggies and try different combinations. We recommend broccoli and peas in winter, snow peas and asparagus in spring, zucchini and bell peppers in summer, and cauliflower and frozen edamame beans in fall.
- Miso paste (optional): you can use any miso pate to add more flavor.
- Noodles (optional): honestly guys, noodles are great in this soup! I always add them in. I tried most types and this is what I learned:
- It’s best to use fresh or pre-cooked noodles that come in vacuum packages like ramen and udon because you can add them directly into the soup, let them warm for a few minutes, and you are ready to serve them.
- If you use dry noodles, cook them separately first, then add them to the soup.
- Toppings: we love scallions, cilantro, and sesame oil.
Instructions
Step 1: Soak dried mushrooms in hot water for 5 minutes.
Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven, add grated garlic, ginger, and thinly sliced red chili pepper and sauté for 1 minute.
Squeeze soaked mushrooms out of the water and add them to the pan. Reserve soaking water.
Add fresh mushrooms (chopped), soy sauce, salt, and black pepper and cook for 5 minutes.
Step 2: Add vegetable broth and the soaking water from the dried mushrooms passing it through a fine-mesh sift first (it’s packed with flavor).
Bring to a boil then add diced tofu, broccoli florets, and frozen peas.
Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the veggies are cooked but with a bite.
For extra flavor, you can add a tablespoon of miso paste dissolved in some hot broth shortly before turning the heat off.
Step 3: Taste and adjust for salt. You can increase flavor with more salt, soy sauce, or miso.
Serve in a bowl and garnish with chopped scallions, fresh cilantro and a drizzle of sesame or chili oil.
Optionally can add cooked noodles, a soft-boiled egg, and/or a tablespoon of kimchi.
Important Noodles Tip
We recommend fresh ramen or udon noodles, but you can also add dry rice noodles or soy noodles:
- Fresh noodles: add them right into the soup with an extra cup or two of vegetable broth, then let simmer for a few minutes as per package instructions.
- Dry noodles: cook them separately first then add them to the soup.
More easy tofu recipes
These are some our readers’ favorite tofu recipes:
They are all deeply satisfying and easy to make.
If you tried this tofu soup recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you ☺️.
Tofu Soup
Ingredients
- 16 ounces firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic grated
- 1½ inches ginger grated
- ½ red hot chili thinly sliced
- ¾ cup dried mushrooms shiitake are best
- 8 ounces mushrooms chopped
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce reduced-sodium
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup broccoli florets substitute asparagus, cauliflower florets, diced bell pepper, sliced zucchini, etc.
- ¾ cup frozen peas substitute snow peas, edamame beans, spinach, kale, cabbage, etc.
- 1 heaping tablespoon miso paste optional
- 4 servings noodles optional
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 twists black pepper
- 1 scallion , cilantro, and sesame oil to garnish.
Instructions
- Soak ¾ cup dried mushrooms in hot water for 5 minutes.Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven, add 3 cloves garlic, 1½ inches ginger (both grated), ½ red hot chili (thinly sliced) and sauté for 1 minute.Squeeze soaked mushrooms out of the water and add them to the pan. Reserve soaking water.Add 8 ounces mushrooms (chopped), 3 tablespoons soy sauce, ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 twists black pepper and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add 6 cups vegetable broth and the soaking water from the dried mushrooms passing it through a fine-mesh sift first.Bring to a boil then add 16 ounces firm tofu (diced), 1 cup broccoli florets, and ¾ cup frozen peas.Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the veggies are cooked but with a bite.For extra flavor, you can add 1 heaping tablespoon miso paste dissolved in some hot broth shortly before turning the heat off.
- Taste and adjust for salt. You can increase flavor with more salt, soy sauce, or miso.Serve in a bowl and garnish with 1 scallion (chopped), fresh cilantro and a drizzle of sesame or chili oil.Optionally can add 4 servings noodles of cooked noodles, a soft-boiled egg, and/or a tablespoon of kimchi.
Video
Notes
- Noodles: we recommend fresh ramen or udon noodles, but you can also add dry rice noodles or soy noodles:
- Fresh noodles: add them right into the soup with an extra cup or two of vegetable broth, then let simmer for a few minutes as per package instructions.
- Dry noodles: cook them separately first then add them to the soup.
- Tofu: If using soft or silken tofu, you might want to scoop it out from its box with a spoon instead of cutting it with a knife.
- Miso: it adds a ton of flavor you guys! Dissolve it in a small bowl with some hot broth, then add it at the end, shortly before serving the soup.
- Tofu: you can use firm, extra firm, soft, and silken tofu.
- Mushrooms: you can use brown, white, cremini, baby bella, portobello, oyster, or any other.
- Red chili pepper: substitute red pepper flakes or a teaspoon of gochujang.
- Soy sauce: substitute tamari sauce.
- Veggies: broccoli and peas are easiest but you can substitute them with snow peas and asparagus in spring, zucchini and bell peppers in summer, and cauliflower and frozen edamame beans in fall.
- Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Cool completely, then freeze in a container with space for expansion (up to 3 months).
- Thaw & Reheat: Defrost in the microwave or stovetop, then reheat and garnish before serving.
Oh my gosh! Amazing. I’ve never had tofu in soup, and not the best at cooking it on my best day. I made this because I was feeling under the weather and wanted something easy and nourishing. It is so good. Super easy, the texture of the tofu is unbelievable. This is definitely my new go to soup.
Hi Melanie,
That’s fantastic to hear – I’m so happy you liked the soup and you found it easy and nourishing!
Thanks so much for taking time to leave a message here.
All the best,
Louise
This seems like more of a mushroom soup than a tofu soup. There are certainly more mushrooms than tofu. I hate mushrooms.
So sorry for your loss, but thank you for sharing with all of us on the internet. Please try one of the other vegetable combinations the author has recommended for just this situation.
Yes, it took over an hour and 1/2 to prep and cook…
Sadly, it didn’t go over with my partner. I don’t think adding noodles would have helped. It is certainly healthy however,
Ah it says drain the mushrooms. Then it says smreseve the mushroom water as if I just didn’t pour it down the drain.
Can you still make without the dried mushrooms?
Hi Karen,
Yes, you can. I’d recommend adding a little extra soy sauce to maintain the umami-flavor of the soup.
Let me know how you like it. Have a great weekend, when you get there.
Louise
I tried this recipe again, and it was great. But even with fewer rice noodles than you recommend, the broth disappeared after a few minutes, and I was left with just noodles.
What type of noodles do you use Nico?
Hi Linda,
You are right; I forgot to mention that if you add dry noodles (I usually use rice or soy vermicelli), you’ll need to increase the amount of vegetable broth.
Start by adding one more cup of broth, then add more, if necessary, until you reach a consistency you are happy with.
If you use pre-cooked noodles, like udon noodles, you won’t need as much extra broth.
As you mentioned in your other comment, you can also boil the noodles separately and serve them on the side 🙂 That’s a great idea!
Regarding the soy, you are right here too. We tried to keep it on the low end for people concerned with sodium intake, but the soup definitely needs more soy for flavor 😊
I adjusted the blog post based on your feedback 🙂
I hope this helps, but let us know if you have any questions.
Thank you 🙂
Nico
Thank you for this amazing recipe! My interpretation, replace parsley with dill and no scallions ( only boil onion with vegetable broth). Full of flavour and easy ❤️
Hi Polina,
That’s fantastic! I’m so happy you liked the soup, and did your own interpretation, it sounds delicious 🙂
Thanks so much for your comment. Kindest,
Louise
Hi,
I made this soup last night and it was tasty but the noodles soaked up all the broth before I had a chance to get to a second bowl. Maybe you should cook the noodles separately and add them to the bowl as you eat it??
I used vermicelli rice noodles, angel hair. Did I use the wrong kind??
Also, the amount of soy sauce you recommend is not enough. It really needs a couple of tablespoons to get a good flavor. But, I loved it and will try again, with noodles on the side. 🙂
Thanks,
Linda
P.S. I LOVE your site. I refer to it several times a week for ideas on how to get more veggies in my diet!!!
Thanks so much for your comment, Linda 🙂
I replied to the other one for the noodles and soy adjustments 📝
Thanks again! 🙏
Nico
Could frozen vegetables, say frozen broccoli be used, instead of fresh? How would that affect the cook time/taste, if at all?
Hi Nicole,
Thanks for your question 🙂
Yes, definitely! You can use frozen veggies. We tried frozen peas and asparagus, which did not affect cook time.
However, some frozen veggies might cook faster than fresh ones, so keep an eye on them. What you don’t want is overcooked veggies with a soggy texture. For example, this might happen with frozen broccoli if you overcook them.
Regarding taste, we find that it depends on the brand/price. Some budget ones are bland and mushy. Others are as tasty and crunchy as fresh veggies.
I hope this helps!
Happy cooking 🙂
Nico
Great recipe but in what universe does it take five minutes to prep?
I see these low estimates of time to prep in many online sites. I would prefer something more realistic, presuming no prep assistant available. Yes, I am an experienced cook. Constructive feedback.
Hi Kathleen,
Constructive feedback is great, and you are right – we were optimistic about the prep time.
It has now been changed, hopefully, it sets the expectation right for future readers.
Thank you for taking the time to comment, and have a great rest of your week.
Kindest,
Louise
Thank you for this!
You answered all my questions!
An all inclusive recipe 🤹🏽
Hi Annie,
I’m super happy you liked the tofu soup – and found the instructions helpful, YAY!
Have a wonderful rest of your weekend and thanks for taking the time to comment. Kindest,
Louise