- Prep-time: / Ready In:
- Makes 9 cups
- Serving size: 2¼ cups
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Once you’ve tried this brothy version of the Chinese restaurant favorite, you’ll want to make it all the time. Dried wood ear mushrooms, one of the signature ingredients, have a mild, earthy flavor and are perfect for this light soup. Freshly grated ginger lends a spicy kick and pairs well with the sweet-sour taste of Chinkiang vinegar. Firm tofu, finely diced scallions, and the chewy mushrooms give you something to sink your teeth into. Serve as a light meal or starter.
Tips
Chinkiang vinegar is a type of black vinegar made with fermented glutinous rice. This staple of Chinese cuisine can be found in Asian supermarkets or online.
Mushroom swap: You’ll find dried wood ear mushrooms in the Asian section of most grocery stores. Dried shiitakes would also work. (Be sure to save any shiitake soaking liquid for another use; it’s very flavorful.)
Thick or thin? For a thicker version, combine the soy sauce and vinegar with 3 tablespoons of cornstarch, then stir the slurry into the soup.
For more inspiration, check out these tasty ideas:
Ingredients
- 1½ oz. dried wood ear mushrooms (about 2 cups) (see tip, recipe intro)
- ¼ cup grated fresh ginger
- 2 quarts no-salt-added vegetable broth (8 cups)
- ⅓ cup Chinkiang vinegar or black vinegar (see tip, recipe intro)
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 8 oz. firm tofu, drained and diced
- Sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 scallions, chopped
Instructions
- Place dried mushrooms in a large bowl. Add boiling water to cover. Let soak 30 minutes; drain and discard soaking liquid. Coarsely chop mushrooms.
- In a medium saucepan cook ginger in 2 tablespoons water over medium 1 to 2 minutes or until softened, stirring frequently. Add broth and mushrooms. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Stir in vinegar and soy sauce. Cook 1 to 2 minutes more to let flavors meld. Gently stir in tofu. Season with a little salt and plenty of pepper. Sprinkle servings with scallions.
Per serving (2¼ cups): 96 calories, 11 g carbohydrates, 7.7 g protein, 3.2 g total fat, 0.6 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 332 mg sodium, 2.4 g fiber, 1.1 g sugar
Note: Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only.
Comments (2)
(0 from 0 votes)This recipe sounds delicious, but some people might be reluctant to try it due to the high caloric content per serving. I understand that the nutritional information is "provided as an estimate only," but please check your basic data more carefully. 432 calories per 2 and 1/2 cup serving seems way off base. Perhaps that should be the caloric estimate for the entire recipe. The greatest amount of calories is provided by the tofu (8 oz), which is only about 250 calories. Broth may add another 120 calories, and the mushrooms and other remaining ingredients contain very few calories (probably about 60+/-). Based on this data, the entire recipe is around 432 calories, making one serving only about 108 calories!
Hi Nora, Yes, you're right. There was an error with the nutritional information for this one. Updated now. Thanks for letting us know!