Description
A flavorful and comforting Vegan Hot and Sour Soup featuring a tangy and spicy broth, fresh vegetables, firm tofu, and tender ramen noodles. This plant-based soup is perfect for a quick, satisfying meal that combines classic hot and sour tastes with nourishing ingredients.
Ingredients
Broth and Seasonings
- 5 1/2 cups vegetable broth or mushroom broth
- 1/2 inch ginger, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 hot green chili, minced
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (or 1 tbsp regular soy sauce + 1 tsp molasses)
- 1 tbsp vinegar (rice vinegar or white vinegar)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- A good dash of white pepper
- 1 tsp sugar or maple syrup
Vegetables and Protein
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
- 1 cup chopped mushrooms
- 1 cup thinly shredded cabbage
- 1/2-1 cup firm tofu, chopped small
- 3 or 4 green onions, chopped (keep most of the green parts for garnish, use white and half green parts in soup)
Noodles and Thickener
- 3 oz ramen noodles
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 cup reserved broth for slurry
Instructions
- Prepare the broth and aromatics: Add 5 cups of vegetable or mushroom broth to a saucepan over medium heat. Mince the ginger, garlic, and hot green chili together thoroughly so they are crushed and add this mixture to the broth.
- Season the broth: Stir in all the sauces and seasonings including soy sauce, dark soy sauce, vinegar, salt, black pepper, white pepper, and sugar or maple syrup. Bring this mixture to a gentle boil.
- Add vegetables and tofu: Once the broth starts boiling, add the chopped mushrooms, thinly sliced carrots, and chopped firm tofu. Stir well to combine.
- Incorporate cabbage: When the soup reaches a rapid boil, add the shredded cabbage. Stir it in carefully to mix.
- Taste and adjust flavors: Carefully taste the soup and adjust seasoning with extra soy sauce or vinegar if needed for balance.
- Add green onions and prepare slurry: Add the white parts and half the green parts of the chopped green onions into the soup. Simultaneously, prepare a cornstarch slurry by mixing 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1/2 cup of the reserved broth until smooth.
- Cook noodles: Add the ramen noodles to the boiling soup. Break them apart gently as they soften. When the noodles are just about al dente, stir in the cornstarch slurry and mix well.
- Finish cooking: Allow the mixture to boil again to activate the thickening from the cornstarch, then promptly remove the pot from heat to prevent overcooking the noodles.
- Final seasoning and garnish: Taste the soup one last time and adjust salt, soy sauce, or vinegar as needed. Garnish with the remaining green parts of the green onions and a sprinkle of pepper flakes or black pepper. Serve immediately for optimal flavor and texture.
Notes
- This recipe can be made using glass noodles or sweet potato noodles as a gluten-free or alternative option to ramen.
- Adding a small amount of Sichuan peppercorn powder will enhance the authenticity and provide an extra layer of numbing heat.
