Mushroom Noodle Soup With Pak Choi And Crispy Marmalade Tofu
This comforting Japanese-style mushroom noodle soup with pak choi and crispy marmalade tofu is packed with umami-rich flavours. A light miso broth, hearty soba noodles and caramelised chilli tofu transform it into a delicious and satisfying meal. The recipe is easy to make, nourishing and perfect for a plant-based midweek dinner.
When I was given a jar of marmalade recently by a friend, I was wondering what I could do with it other than to have it on toast – delicious though that is. Well I thought I’d try pairing it with tofu. What a revelation.
Fry tofu until it’s crispy, add marmalade and chilli and you end up with hot sweet caramelised tofu with interesting bitter notes. It goes brilliantly with this enhanced version of miso soup.
Dive Right In
- Why You’ll Want To Make This Mushroom Noodle Soup
- Mushroom Miso Noodle Soup With Hot Marmalade Tofu
- Ingredients, Additions And Substitutions
- How To Make Mushroom Noodle Soup And Marmalade Tofu
- Other Noodle Recipes You Might Like
- Keep In Touch
- Pin It
- The Recipe
Why You’ll Want To Make This Mushroom Noodle Soup
There are many reasons as to why you’ll want to make this mushroom noodle soup. Not least of which is that it’s delicious, nutritious and fairly quick to prepare.
- Caramelised Tofu – Hot marmalade tofu adds a unique twist to noodle soup, bringing crunch, sweetness, heat and caramelisation. And don’t forget that all important protein content.
- Deep, Umami-Rich Flavour – The miso broth, mushrooms, pak choi and crispy marmalade tofu create layers of savoury depth with a top note of sweetness.
- Light Yet Satisfying – The broth keeps the soup light, while the soba noodles and tofu make it hearty enough for a full meal.
- Packed with Nutrients – There’s plenty of protein in the tofu whilst the vegetables, mushrooms, miso and soba noodles are high in fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Yet the calorie count is modest.
- Perfect for Any Season – The soup is light enough for warmer months but comforting enough for chilly evenings.
- Quick to Make – Despite the various steps needed to prepare this soup, the ingredients are simple and it’s ready to serve within thirty minutes. A great choice for a nourishing midweek meal.
- Unique Take on Miso Soup – With both caramelised tofu and soba noodles, this is a more substantial and flavoursome twist on a classic Japanese stalwart.
- Vegan and Gluten-Free – All ingredients are plant-based and if you ensure the soba noodles are made with 100% buckwheat, the soup is also gluten-free.
Mushroom Miso Noodle Soup With Hot Marmalade Tofu
I do love a good miso soup. It always feels so restorative. This elevated version of miso soup is richer, heartier and full of bold flavours.
There are so many textures and flavours going on, it makes it particularly interesting to eat. If you can manage with chopsticks, it becomes more of an experience and I find I savour the food more too.
The miso mushroom broth bathes the noodles, greens and mushrooms in deliciousness. There are noodles to slurp, mushrooms to chew on and pak choi stems for a light crunch. But the best bit is the crispy caramelised tofu adorning the top.
Despite cooking the tofu and noodles separately, this is a surprisingly quick recipe to make. Having said that, you can cook the noodles directly in the soup if you prefer. It’s just you have less control as to their doneness. The broth will also look a bit cloudy if prepared this way.
Ingredients, Additions And Substitutions
You need surprisingly few ingredients to make this mushroom noodle soup both satisfying and delicious. Most are store cupboard items. I’ve highlighted those that are worth taking particular note of.
Greens
Normally I use pak choi in this recipe. However in the images you can see here, I’ve used chard instead. It just so happened I had a head of Swiss chard delivered in my veg box the very day I made this soup.
Both work well in this recipe, though pak choi is a bit more authentic.
You will need both the stems and leafy greens.
Miso
Miso comes in various colours. Each one has a different flavour profile and level of intensity. For this recipe red or brown miso is best.
Most miso is unpasteurised and that’s what you want. Do check the labels before you buy though. Leaving it “live” means the probiotics and beneficial enzymes aren’t destroyed. For this same reason, try not to boil miso. Always add it at the end of cooking.
Mushrooms
You can use whichever type of mushrooms you like for this recipe. However, shiitake or at least some shiitake mushrooms will ramp up the flavour and provide some authenticity.
I used chestnut mushrooms and a dried shiitake. This works well, but also helps to keep the cost down. Fresh shiitake mushrooms are quite pricey, whereas dried ones are relatively cheap. They keep for ages and you don’t need many of them to add an additional shot of umami goodness. I highly recommend keeping a pack in the cupboard.
Noodles
Soba noodles are perfect for this soup. They don’t take long to cook and because they’re made with buckwheat they’re particularly nutritious. There are two types of soba noodles: ones that are made with part wheat and part buckwheat and the pure type which is made with buckwheat only.
If you’re gluten sensitive or intolerant, make sure you use the ones that are made with one hundred percent buckwheat flour.
As with most recipes, this one is adaptable, so for convenience, it’s fine to use whatever noodles you have available. Brown rice noodles would be a good substitute.
Seaweed (optional)
I know not everyone holds various packs of seaweed in their kitchen cupboard, but I do. Seaweed is incredibly nutritious and I like to add it to soups and stews where appropriate.
Any edible seaweed is fine to use for this recipe. Cut large pieces into small ones as they swell quite considerably when cooking. If using flakes, add them close to the end of cooking. I use a few strands of hijiki, but keep them whole.
Tofu
If you can get hold of extra firm tofu, so much the better. It cuts down on some of the work. Ordinary firm tofu will need pressing to remove some of the water content before you can use it.
Silken tofu is not suitable for this recipe.
How To Make Mushroom Noodle Soup And Marmalade Tofu
Although, at first glance, this soup seems like quite an involved recipe, it’s actually fairly quick to make. You just need three pans all cooking at the same time.
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions, timings and quantities of ingredients used.
Step 1. Soak Shiitake
Place the dried shiitake in a small bowl and cover with just boiled water. Leave to soak for at least ten minutes.
Once rehydrated, remove the mushroom from the water and give it a good squeeze. Keep the soaking water and slice the shiitake.
Step 2. Prepare Tofu
Whilst the shiitake is soaking, prepare the tofu. If you’re using ordinary firm tofu, you’ll need to press it to remove as much as the water content as you can. I use extra firm tofu so I don’t need to do this.
Once pressed, cut the tofu into two centimetre (not quite one inch) chunks.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the tofu chunks and fry them on one side for two to three minutes until golden and crispy. Turn them over and fry another side. Keep going until they’re golden and crispy all over.
Split and deseed the chilli if you don’t like things too hot. The marmalade cools it down quite considerably though. Chop the chilli as finely as you can, then combine it with the marmalade.
Add to the crispy tofu and stir-fry for a couple of minutes or until the marmalade has almost caramelised and no liquid remains. You want the hot marmalade to coat the tofu chunks completely.
Step 3. Cook Noodles
Whilst the tofu is frying, cook the noodles as per pack instructions. Then drain. Don’t worry if they cool down a bit, the hot broth will warm them up later.
I boiled my soba noodles for six minutes, then drained in a colander and rinsed with cold water to stop the noodles sticking.
Top Tip
For an easier method, add the noodles directly to the cooking broth at the same time as the mushrooms and pak choi. It’s less involved and creates less washing up. But you may get noodles that are either over cooked or not quite cooked enough.
Step 4. Chop Veg
Also whilst the tofu is frying, prepare the veg.
Scrub your piece of ginger root, but there’s no need to peel it. Cut it into fine mini matchsticks. Peel the garlic cloves and likewise, cut them into mini matchsticks too.
Brush the mushrooms to remove any dirt or wipe them over with a damp cloth. Halve any large ones, then slice them – not too thick nor too thin.
Wash the pak choi, or Swiss chard if using. Give the leaves a good shake to dry them off. Separate the stems and leaves, then cut the stems into bit sized slices.
Likewise slice the leaves, but half them first.
Rinse, shake dry and slice the spring onions (scallions) too. Slicing them on the diagonal makes them look more fetching.
Step 5. Make Soup
Heat the water in a large pan until it’s boiling. Add the ginger, garlic, tamari and seaweed if using. Also add the shiitake’s soaking water, but be careful not to include any pieces of grit that might have sunk to the bottom. Simmer, with the lid on, for a couple of minutes.
Add the mushroom slices, including the shiitake along with the pak choi or Swiss chard stems to the broth. Simmer with the lid on for five minutes.
Add the sliced greens and simmer for a further two to three minutes until the greens are tender. Turn Off the heat.
Take a few spoonfuls of broth from the pan and mix it with the miso. Stir until smooth and any lumps have disappeared. Pour into the pan, scraping out anything left around the sides with a silicone spatula. Squeeze in the lime juice and toasted sesame oil, if using. Give a good stir.
Step 6. Serve
Divide the drained noodles between two large bowls. Then place the sliced spring onions (scallions) into the bowls.
Ladle the hot broth with the mushrooms and pak choi over the noodles and onions.
Top with the caramelised chilli tofu and scatter with the coriander leaves (cilantro). Serve with chopsticks and a lime wedge to squeeze in, if desired.
Other Noodle Recipes You Might Like
- Buddha’s Delight: Chinese stir-fry
- Korean glass noodles with tempeh & vegetables
- Miso butter noodles with mushrooms & cabbage
- Samphire noodles with miso marinated tofu
- Simple laksa noodle soup with tofu
- Spicy peanut butter noodles with steamed vegetables & smoked tofu
Keep in Touch
Thank you for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this mushroom noodle soup recipe, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Do you have any recommendations or tips for cooking noodles?
Please rate the recipe. If you post pictures of your creations on social media, tag me @choclette8 so I can see them.
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Choclette x
Mushroom Noodle Soup. PIN IT.
Mushroom Noodle Soup With Pak Choi And Crispy Marmalade Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil or other neutral tasting oil
- 140 g firm tofu pressed (or use extra firm tofu) – cut into 2cm chunks
- 2 tbsp marmalade fine cut is best
- ½ red chilli deseeded
- 125 g soba noodles 2 x 63g bundles
- 700 ml water
- 1 thumb size knob root ginger finely sliced into mini matchsticks
- 2 clove garlic finely sliced into mini matchsticks
- 2 tsp tamari (affiliate link) or your favourite soy sauce
- 1 tsp dried seaweed optional (I used a few strands of hijiki)
- 150 g mushrooms of your choice sliced
- 1 pak choi or half a Swiss chard – stems and leaves separated
- 1 tbsp red miso paste or brown
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil* (optional)
- ½ lime juiced
- 2 spring onions (scallions) sliced
- 6 sprig coriander leaves (cilantro) chopped
Instructions
- Place the shiitake in a small bowl and cover with just boiled water. Leave to soak for at least ten minutes.1 dried shiitake mushrooms
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the tofu chunks and fry them on one side for 2-3 minutes until golden and crispy. Turn them over and fry another side. Keep going until they're golden and crispy all over – about 12 minutes.2 tbsp sunflower oil, 140 g firm tofu
- Chop the chilli as finely as you can, then add to the crispy tofu along with the marmalade. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes to coat the tofu completely. It should be almost caramelised with no liquid remaining.2 tbsp marmalade, ½ red chilli
- Whilst the tofu is frying, cook the noodles as per pack instructions. I boiled my soba noodles for six minutes, then drained in a colander and rinsed with cold water to stop the noodles sticking.125 g soba noodles
- Whilst the noodles are cooking, heat the water in a large pan until it’s boiling. Add the ginger, garlic, tamari and seaweed if using. Simmer, with the lid on, for a couple of minutes.700 ml water, 1 thumb size knob root ginger, 2 clove garlic, 2 tsp tamari (affiliate link), 1 tsp dried seaweed
- Squeeze any water out of the shiitake, but retain its soaking water. Finely slice the mushroom and add to the pan along with the soaking water – all but the dregs.
- Slice the pak choi or Swiss chard stems and add to the broth along with the sliced mushrooms. Simmer for five minutes.150 g mushrooms of your choice
- Slice the greens and add them to the pan. Simmer for a further 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat. Take a few spoonfuls of broth and mix it with the miso. As soon as any lumps have disappeared, add it back into the pan. Add the lime juice and toasted sesame oil, if using. Give a good stir.1 tbsp red miso paste, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil*, ½ lime
- Divide the drained noodles between two large bowls. Add the sliced spring onions (scallions), then ladle the hot broth over the top.2 spring onions (scallions)
- Top with the caramelised chilli tofu and scatter with the coriander leaves (cilantro).6 sprig coriander leaves (cilantro)
If I was at your house and you served this to me I would gobble it up with relish. But, to make it, it would be a whole new cooking adventure for me. I don’t usually cook ‘Asian style’ except for an overcooked stir fry- always over cook it but we eat it because of the flavour and the lovely vegetables and of course, the noodles! Just call it something else! I can’t get the hang of cooking like the Asians do!
I will keep this recipe and I will make it one day – and probably overcook it!!
Thanks Choclette
Ha! If I’m at anyone’s house I gobble up whatever is offered – it’s such a treat to be cooked for. But really Mary, this noodle soup is quite an easy dish to make as it’s mostly just veg lightly boiled in broth. Do give it a go.
now that is an interesting idea – to add marmalade! I don’t mind a bit of sweet with savoury so this sounds great.
cheers
sherry
That marmalade works so well, especially when you add a bit of chilli.