When you need a fast way to warm up, here’s a tofu vegetable soup that’s on the table quickly. Following an onion sauté, napa (or savoy) cabbage, mushrooms, baby corn, snow or snap peas, and tofu need only the briefest of time on the stove.
What to serve with tofu vegetable soup: Serve with rice and/or vegetable spring rolls for a simple, satisfying meal. For a larger meal, consider serving a cold Asian noodle dish, either side-by-side with the soup, or after. A few ideas:
- Cold Asian Noodle Bowls with Daikon and Carrot
- Cold Spicy Peanut Butter Noodles
- Peanut Satay Soba Noodles with Cucumber
What is napa cabbage and what can you swap in? Napa cabbage is a popular variety in Asian cuisines, with some leaves that are barrel-shaped, others are long and cylindrical. These leaves have a delicate texture than green cabbage; they’re pale green and deeply crinkled. Napa has a mild flavor and tender texture that cooks up quickly.
A good swap-in is ordinary green cabbage or savoy cabbage, or large bok choy stalkes. All are fairly easy to find in supermarkets with well-stocked produce sections, as well as cool-weather farm markets. Learn more in our Guide to Common Cabbage Varieties.
Recipe is from Vegan Soups and Stews for All Seasons (5th edition)
Photos by Hannah Kaminsky, BittersweetBlog.com.
Explore more …
- 50+ Easy Vegan Tofu Recipes for Every Meal
- Quick Asian Noodle Bowls with Colorful Vegetables
- Soba Noodle Soup with Tofu, Greens & Shiitake Mushrooms
- Vegan Kimchi Soup with Tofu & Bok Choy
Quick Tofu Vegetable Soup with Napa Cabbage

When you’re looking for a fast way to warm up, here’s a tofu vegetable soup that’s on the table quickly.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon dark sesame or neutral vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced
- 4 to 5 thinly sliced napa or savoy cabbage leaves
- 1 cup thinly sliced small white or cremini mushrooms
- 15-ounce can baby corn, with liquid (precut baby corn is convenient, but if whole, cut each in half)
- 32-ounce carton vegetable broth + 2 cups water, or 6 cups water with 2 vegetable bouillon cubes
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari, or more, to taste
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh or bottled ginger
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 cup or so snow peas or snap peas, trimmed (halved if large)
- 14-ounce tub firm or extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch dice
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion and sauté over low heat until golden.
- Add the remaining ingredients except the snow peas and tofu. Bring to a slow boil, then lower the heat. Simmer over low heat with the cover ajar for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the cabbage is just tender.
- Stir in the snow peas and tofu. Adjust the consistency with water if the broth is too crowded. Heat until piping hot and serve at once.

Here are lot more warming vegan soups & stews.
I just bought an organic, locally grown Napa cabbage (for the first time, here in our small, mid-Atlantic college town). And I wanted to make a soup…This recipe has all of the ingredients we love. Big thanks!
How convenient! I hope you enjoy the soup … feel free to vary the recipe, it’s quite flexible!
Kimchi soup is also a good one, and it uses even more napa cabbage: https://theveganatlas.com/vegan-kimchi-soup-a-korean-classic-made-plant-based/
Hello Nava,
Just had a note from my friend Chuck in Vietnam who is Vegan. He was happy to hear about the new Soups book so I sent him all the info and link to your website. He promised to share it with the many vegan chefs he knows in Hanoi.
Cheers
C
Thank you for spreading the word all over the world!