Description
A comforting and flavorful Vegan Hot and Sour Soup with ramen noodles, packed with fresh vegetables, tofu, and a perfect balance of tangy, spicy, and savory flavors. This quick and easy recipe is perfect for a warming meal in under 40 minutes, featuring a broth enriched with ginger, garlic, soy sauces, vinegar, and just the right amount of heat and sourness.
Ingredients
Broth and Seasoning
- 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 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 to 1 cup chopped firm tofu (small pieces)
- 3 or 4 green onions (chopped, keep most of the green parts for garnish)
Other Ingredients
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 oz ramen noodles
Instructions
- Heat Broth: Add 5 cups of vegetable broth to a saucepan and heat it over medium heat.
- Mince Aromatics: Finely mince the ginger, garlic, and hot green chili together until well crushed, then add this mixture to the broth for infusion.
- Add Seasonings: Incorporate soy sauce, dark soy sauce, vinegar, salt, black pepper, white pepper, and sugar into the broth, stirring to combine.
- Cook Vegetables and Tofu: When the broth starts to boil, add mushrooms, carrots, and chopped tofu, stirring gently to cook through.
- Add Cabbage: Once the soup is rapidly boiling, add shredded cabbage and mix well to combine.
- Taste and Adjust: Carefully taste the soup and adjust flavor by adding extra soy sauce or vinegar if needed.
- Add Green Onion Whites: Stir in the white parts and half of the green parts of the chopped green onions into the soup.
- Prepare Cornstarch Slurry: While the soup is boiling, mix 1 tbsp cornstarch with 1/2 cup of the remaining vegetable broth to make a slurry.
- Cook Ramen and Thicken Soup: Toss in the ramen noodles; once they begin to separate and are nearly al dente, add the cornstarch slurry and stir well. Let the soup return to a boil to thicken, then remove from heat promptly to prevent overcooking the noodles.
- Final Seasoning and Garnish: Taste one last time and adjust salt, soy sauce, or vinegar as needed. Garnish with remaining green onion parts and a sprinkle of black or red pepper flakes. Serve immediately for best taste.
Notes
- Use mushroom broth for deeper umami flavor or vegetable broth for a lighter base.
- Adjust the amount of chili based on desired heat level.
- Dark soy sauce adds richness; if unavailable, substitute regular soy sauce with a bit of molasses.
- Ramen noodles should be cooked just until nearly done in the soup to avoid overcooking and becoming mushy.
- This soup is best served fresh but can be refrigerated for up to 2 days; reheat gently before serving.
- For a gluten-free version, use tamari instead of soy sauce and gluten-free noodles.
