Hot and Sour Chinese Ramen Tofu Vegetable Soup

This Hot and Sour Chinese Vegetable soup can be prepared entirely in a wok, taking advantage of the cookware’s quick-cooking capabilities and wide sides to keep anything from jumping out. A wok is really a versatile tool, and I love using mine for stir-frying as well as for making soups on the quick. If you don’t own a wok, it’s a worthy investment. I purchased a 14-inch Carbon Steel Wok from the Wok Shop two years ago and have been very happy with it.

So with wok on the burner, I set out on a busy Wednesday night to make a tasty vegetable soup with ingredients I had on hand and that wouldn’t take long to prep and cook. I started with tofu, Napa cabbage, carrots and garlic. Deep in the back of one cupboard I found a package of Ramen noodles and decided to add those, minus the seasoning packet, for some extra body. And for more speedy convenience, some Swanson’s Chinese-style Hot and Sour broth. This was my first soup using a packaged hot-and-sour broth, and it added plenty of flavor out of the gate. I was suspect that it would be more sour than hot, but that’s not the case. One of the broth’s primary ingredients is cayenne pepper, and this liquid does have a bite. My wife thought it was quite spicy, so you might want to cut the broth with some water if you’re not a spice lover. I, on the other hand, drizzled some Sriracha sauce over mine for a final burst of heat. Verdict? A very nice Asian-style veggie soup that came together quickly, was fun to make and had plenty of contrasting textures. Most importantly, it was a very flavorful soup.

Recipe Type: Soup

Cuisine: Chinese

Author: eSoupRecipes.com

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 6

Ingredients

1 Napa cabbage, cut into thin strips, washed and rinsed thoroughly
1 quart Swanson Chinese Hot & Sour broth
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 package extra firm Tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
1 package Ramen noodles, any flavor (save spice packet for another use)
Salt and black pepper

Instructions

Drain liquid thoroughly from tofu and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Put the peanut oil into a wok and heat over high
Add the tofu and cook until browned, about 4 to 5 minutes
Remove tofu and let drain on paper towels
Add the garlic and carrots and stir-fry for 2 minutes
Stir in the cabbage, reduce heat to medium and cook 2 minutes
Pour in the broth and increase heat
Break the Ramen noodles into smaller pieces, add to the wok and cook until tender
Taste for seasoning and add salt and freshly ground black pepper as desired
Put the tofu back into the wok and mix everything together

3.2.2925

Looking for the perfect pot to cook up your next batch of soup? I recommend the Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven. It comes in 11 different colors and is an excellent value for the price.

Todd