Rich in protein while being exceptionally low in fat, tofu is a superstar of the superfood world. Made by mixing water with soybean milk, it's a bean curd, and it's long been used as an alternative to meat in Asia. You'll also get a heap of omega-3, iron, copper and selenium with each serving – fantastic for overall heart health.
Chinese noodle, tofu and vegetable soup
This Chinese-style soup is perfect if you’re looking for a quick and easy meat-free meal. Filled with the hearty goodness of tofu, vegetables and noodles, it's a nourishing winter recipe.
- 5 mins preparation
- 20 mins cooking
- Serves 4
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Ingredients
- 1 litre vegetable stock
- 1 litre water
- 4 cm piece fresh ginger, grated finely
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1/4 cup light soy sauce, plus extra, to season
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 100 g fresh shiitake mushrooms
- 1 bunch gai lan
- 450 g fresh hokkien noodles
- 1 medium carrot, cut into long thin strips
- 1 stick celery, cut into long thin strips
- 300 g silken tofu
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 fresh long red chilli, thinly sliced
- 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
- pinch ground white pepper
Method
- 1Bring stock, the water, ginger, garlic, sauce and sugar to the boil in a large pan.
- 2Meanwhile, remove stems from mushrooms; thinly slice caps. Separate gai lan stems and leaves.
- 3Rinse noodles under warm water to separate; drain well.
- 4Add carrot, celery, mushrooms, gai lan stems and noodles to the pan; simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Add gai lan leaves; simmer, uncovered, for 1 minute or until just tender
- 5Cut tofu into 1.5cm cubes; add to soup with oil. Season to taste with a little extra soy sauce or salt. Remove from heat.
- 6Ladle soup into serving bowls; serve with chilli, onion and white pepper.
Notes
If you can't find gai lan, you can use baby buk choy, choy sum, broccolini or snow peas.
