Spring Tofu Soup Recipe (2024)

Substitute SESAME OIL for the Olive Oil

I would suggest using sesame oil at the end instead of olive oil.

The lemon zest-garlic-pepper-jalapeno combination (a brilliant touch, IMHO) is inspired by gremolata (zest, garlic, parsley). So chili-phobes can skip the jalapeno: substitute any herbs that you have around - mint, parsley and cilantro come to mind as complementing East Asian flavors. Some minced ginger might be nice.When Vietnamese serve pho, all condiments are served on the side, to be added according to taste. Follow the same approach here.

I, like every other home cook with a well stocked pantry and corresponding inflated sense of self, worship at the alter of sesame oil. But in this recipe the key flavours are the fresh greens and the jalapeño/lemon/garlic combo. It’s fresh, it’s bright, it’s delicate; the olive oil compliments all of that. Just because you use soy sauce and tofu doesn’t mean you have to use sesame oil. Trust the writer - the olive oil Works here.

Actually, most asian cooking calls for low sodium soy sauce. That's what I would (and always do) use.

I didn’t have asparagus so I substituted it with frozen spinach, it was great. Amazing recipe!

Yeesh folks-the point of this recipe is to give you a template for making a dish with what you have on hand not to make the most authentic version of something. I had sh*takes, snap peas, baby greens and used red miso and a little veggie bullion paste instead of soy. I also happened to have the Yuzu Kosho which was at my Trader Joes. It is delicious, especially loved the texture of the soft tofu. Glad I skipped the sesame which some suggested. The delicate citrus flavor would have been lost.

Ms. Roman struck just the right chord with this. Ended up making it immediately for my breakfast as I'm getting pretty tired of eggs, panckakes and french toast. Was lucky to have everything neeeded. Made exactly as described, with the exception of the lemon zest/garlic mixture. Had no jalapeños so subbed-in red szechuan peppercorns, smashed and tossed straight into the broth. Also had frozen wild-caught Maine shrimp (the tiny ones) in the freezer and threw a handful into the pot. Fantastic.

Seriously? Why not just start off with miso soup base?

Used hondashi/miso/tamari in place of just soy sauce! Used mix of cremini/enoki/shiitake mushrooms! Subbed bias-cut celery and sliced radish for asparagus. Subbed fresh chickpeas for peas! Used green yuzu kosho instead of lemon/jalapeño. Finished with lime juice and rice vinegar. added torn black garlic in bowl with extra firm tofu block. Ladled soup over tofu & black garlic. Drizzled with pistachio oil! Topped with celery leaves, Thai basil, red oxalis. Delicious!

Thank you, NYT Cooking, for the delicious and inspirational VEGAN recipe. (Please keep them coming!). I eliminated added salt and used low-sodium broth and soy sauce (as written, the recipe is way too salty). Didn't have asparagus so used some cabbage instead (chopped up and sauteed with sesame oil). Added buckwheat noodles for a filling dinner. Thanks!

Umm where does the lemon juice go?

Pretty good dish but I completely agree with some of the other comments. This is too salty and it drowns out the other flavors. I would say get low sodium broth if you're going to make it.

Add ramen noodles

I bet you could substitute anything with a bit of zing - another kind of spicy(ish) pepper, fresh ginger, a strong fresh herb like basil, a bit of radish...

This did not work for me. The quantities seem off. Not enough liquid for that much asparagus (a bunch, thinly sliced, yielded about two cups), that many peas, and that much tofu. Also, two lemons' worth of zest is way too much. It overwhelmed the meager volume of liquid and turned the whole thing unpleasantly sour.

Lovely, lovely soup. I didn’t have asparagus, so I used baby broccoli. I also had some leftover corn which I cut off the cob and added. I especially liked the lemon zest/ garlic/jalapeño mixture, which took the soup to he next level.

Simple, nutritious and delicious; win, win.

Sesame oil at the end, not olive oil

Easy (if you have a nice homemade broth handy), delicious, and healthy. I sliced the mushrooms and used thinly sliced kale in place of asparagus. I hold with those who favored olive oil over sesame for this one, as the recipe directs.

Thought it’d be bland but it was very good! Added lemon juice and fried scallions on sesame oil. My bf cooked salmon in the broth and was also very happy with it

Great soup, but so much sodium! Your blood pressure will be through the roof if you follow the directions for salt. I added no more salt than what is already in the 1/4 cup of soy sauce and we still found this soup very salty.I added some freshly grated ginger and also some cilantro garnish. Add the peas and asparagus right before serving so they stay bright green. It won't take them long to go olive if you don't do this and the soup will lose it's visual appeal.

Made last night for 2, using full amount of broth (homemade chicken broth healthy glug of shoyu), fewer veggies - baby shiitakes, asparagus cut in 1” diagonals, fistful of whole sugar snap peas. Cubed x-firm tofu, and remains of a packet of buckwheat noodles, broken, into the pot, then the fresh veggies, simmered just until crisp tender. That jalapeño gremolata is bomb. EVOO lemon YES. With the noodles this was a light but complete dinner, thoroughly enjoyed, and will repeat!

Good as written, but if you’re looking for something a little heartier, adding miso and a poached egg really levels it up.

Delighted in the flavors. Trying to figure out how to store leftovers. I added not salt after the first addition, no more. Delicious.

Unfortunately tofu is not good for anyone, anywhere, unless you can find gluten free tofu.It is not available everywhere. You are lucky if you live near a Whole Foods. Not everyone does.

Loved it! Followed as written with two changes, added thin ramen noodles for some bulk (definitely optional) and didn't add any extra salt after the soy sauce. I really liked the olive oil in this and am glad I went with it instead of substituting with sesame oil. It makes for an unusual but delicious combination and is delicious with the fresh vegetables. In my opinion, it's what makes the dish unique!

I changed nothing about this recipe (except I added fresh parsley as an additional topper) and it was absolutely delicious. The garlic/jalapeño/lemon zest mixture took the veggie broth from bland to shockingly good. I will be making this all spring long!

I sliced up the firm tofu and added it to my soup. It was teriffic!

made this last night. delicious! but as others have pointed out - watch the salt. i used salted broth with lower sodium soy sauce, then used a smaller amount of salt during the prep. that said, this dish had amazing flavor, perfect for a snowy NY evening.