Recipe for Tofu and Cabbage Soup

After living in China for two years, my general dislike of tofu was vanquished. I now think it is delicious fried or frozen. The simple soup below was easy to come by in the frigid Northeast region of China, where cabbage used to be one of the only vegetables available during the long winter months. Freezing the tofu gives it a more substantial texture, which I greatly prefer over soft tofu.

My recipe, which requires only 4 ingredients besides water and salt, originally appeared as one of two tofu recipes in this piece.


Simple Tofu and Cabbage Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

3-4 cups water

2 vegetable or chicken boullion cubes

5-6 Napa cabbage leaves (or more), cut/torn into several pieces

10-12 oz. frozen firm tofu, thawed and cubed

1-2 sliced mushrooms (button or shitake), optional

salt to taste

Directions:

1. Freeze tofu ahead of time and let thaw.

2. In a deep saucepan, bring water to boiling and add boullion cubes to make broth.

3. Next add cubes of tofu, cabbage, and sliced mushroom. Turn heat down and simmer until cabbage is wilted. Add salt to taste.

Notes:

• You can also add a cooked shrimp to each bowl, as demonstrated in this cabbage soup recipe on YouTube.

• This soup can also be made in your slow cooker. For more slow cooking ideas, head to Crock Pot Wednesdays. I've also submitted this post to Tammy's In-Season Recipe Swap.