Soba Noodle Soup with Tofu, Greens & Shiitake Mushrooms

When you want to warm up quickly, here’s a soba noodle soup that’s ready from start to finish in 30 minutes or less. Embellished with greens and shiitake mushrooms, this vegetable tofu soup recipe is a lively first course.

Many Asian-style soups need little time to cook — and in fact, the less time, the fresher they taste. Unlike some other soups that benefit from time to stand and develop, though, Asian soups like this one taste best just done.

This is especially true in the case of this soup. The noodles absorb much of the broth after standing for a bit, becoming more of a noodle dish than a soup. So make this just before it’s time to serve, and eat up!

Use your favorite kind of Asian noodles: This soup is good made with soba, udon, or ramen noodles.

Serve authentically: Slurp the noodles from the broth with chopsticks, then use an Asian soup spoon, if you have any, to scoop up what’s left. If not, no worries … any soup spoon serves the purpose. For extra fun, accompany with vegetable spring rolls from your supermarket or natural food store’s frozen foods aisle.

More shiitake love

• If you love these delectable mushrooms, make sure to explore this roundup of vegan fresh shiitake mushroom recipes.
• See A Guide to Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms, the Ultimate Umami Ingredient for lots more tips and ideas.

Adapted from Vegan Soups and Stews for All Seasons by Nava Atlas. Photos by Hannah Kaminsky, BittersweetBlog.com.

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Yield: 6

Soba Noodle Soup with Tofu, Greens, & Shiitake Mushrooms

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When you want to warm up quickly, here’s a soba noodle soup that’s ready from start to finish in 30 minutes or less. Filled with greens, tofu, and shiitake mushrooms, it’s a lively first course.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 8-ounce package Asian noodles (soba, udon, or ramen)
• 32-ounce container vegetable broth
• 8 to 10 shiitake mushroom caps, stemmed and sliced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons natural granulated sugar
• 2 to 3 teaspoons grated fresh or squeeze-bottle ginger, to taste
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 8 ounces extra firm silken tofu (regular tofu is fine, too)
• 5 to 6 ounces baby spinach or arugula (or use Asian greens like baby bok choy, tatsoi, or mizuna)

• Freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Break the noodles in half and cook them according to package directions until al dente, then drain. Rinse briefly with cool water.
2. Meanwhile, combine the broth, mushrooms, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and ginger in a soup pot. Bring to a slow boil, then lower the heat. Cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
3. Stir in the scallions, tofu, and greens. Cook until the greens are barely wilted, just a minute or two.
4. Stir in the noodles. Add a bit more water — about 2 cups, or enough to give the soup a dense but not overly crowded consistency. Season with pepper and some additional soy sauce if needed. Heat through and serve at once.

Here are more tasty vegan soups & stews.