Napa cabbage tofu soup close up

Growing up in China, soup was one of the key components of dinner and my mom served it almost every day. For busy weeknights, she’d usually make easy soups that take very little time to put together. For example, egg drop soup, tomato egg drop soup, corn soup, and winter melon meatball soup were some of her go-to recipes.

One of my favorite dishes from her collection of authentic Chinese soup recipes is the napa cabbage tofu soup. It takes no time to put together and it tastes super hearty. In the recipe below I’ve included a few different ways for you to tweak this soup using the ingredients you have on hand.

Napa cabbage tofu soup served in bowls

Napa cabbage tofu ingredients

Broth base

Napa cabbage tofu soup uses a chicken broth base and aromatics to create a hearty taste. Since the ingredients in this recipe are extremely simple, it is important to use a high quality chicken broth or bouillon. My personal favorite broth is Kirkland Signature Organic Chicken Broth, which you can find at Costco. My other favorite is Better Than Bouillon Roast Chicken Base. You simply need to add a big spoonful of the paste into water to create a very flavorful broth.

Recommended chicken broth base

Other delicious way to spice up your broth 

Dried shrimp – It’s one of my mom’s favorite ways to add flavor to a soup. To use dried shrimp, soak a few of them in warm water for 10 minutes, then add them to the soup at the beginning. It will infuse a savory seafood flavor to the soup.

Miso Paste – If you have miso paste, you can also add a spoonful of it to the chicken base and skip the salt. It adds a rich umami to the soup, and not to mention, it has a ton of nutritional benefits.

Chicken bouillon powder – If the chicken broth you use is not flavorful enough for your liking, I would add a small amount of chicken bouillon to further enhance the taste.

Vegetable and alternatives

My favorite vegetables are napa cabbage and mushrooms. Both create a great texture in the soup. However, there are many other vegetables that work in this recipe as well. Here are some of my favorite:

  • Choy sum
  • Baby bok choy
  • Bamboo shoots
  • Regular cabbage
  • Kale 
  • Celtuce 
  • Spinach (add it at the end)

Options for tofu

The recipe below uses soft tofu, which is very quick to cook and has a nice silky texture. You can replace it with firm or medium tofu if you like.

Instead of regular tofu, I also love to use other types of tofu products such as:

These tofu products have a fun texture and they absorb flavor better than regular tofu. If you happen to have them on hand, you can use them instead of regular tofu.

Mise en place

When you’re ready to cook, you should have:

  • Sliced green onion
  • Chicken broth
  • Mushrooms, prepped
  • Sliced napa cabbage, white and green parts separated 
  • Sliced ginger
  • Smashed garlic
  • Tofu, sliced 
  • Soy sauce, white pepper, chicken bouillon (or salt)
  • Sesame oil 
Ingredients for making napa cabbage tofu soup
Napa cabbage tofu soup in a pot

How to cook napa cabbage tofu soup

It is super easy to cook napa cabbage tofu soup:

  1. Bring the broth to a boil with ginger, garlic, and soy sauce
  2. Add the white part of the napa cabbage and the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes
  3. Cook the napa cabbage greens and tofu
  4. Add the rest of the seasoning and finish up with green onion and a drizzle of sesame oil
Steps to make Napa Cabbage Tofu Soup

That’s it!

The napa cabbage is tender and soaked in the hearty chicken broth. The broth is infused with a fragrant gingery taste and mildly spicy taste from the white pepper. It is a great, easy side dish to serve for dinner during the cold winter months.

Chicken soup with napa cabbage, tofu and mushrooms

Other dishes to serve with napa cabbage tofu soup

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A super fast and easy napa cabbage tofu soup with mushrooms simmered in chicken broth for a comforting and hearty taste. It is a great side dish to add to your dinner table for extra color and nutrition. {Gluten-Free Adaptable}

Napa Cabbage Tofu Soup (白菜豆腐汤)

By Maggie Zhu
4.95 from 17 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Print
A super fast and easy napa cabbage tofu soup with mushrooms simmered in chicken broth for a comforting and hearty taste. It is a great side dish to add to your dinner table for extra color and nutrition. {Gluten-Free Adaptable}
To make the dish gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce.

Ingredients 

  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 4 slices ginger
  • 2 green onions , sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic , smashed
  • 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
  • 8 napa cabbage leaves , sliced to bite-size pieces (yield 8 cups after cutting)
  • 5 oz mushrooms of your choice , sliced to bite-size pieces (Optional) (*Footnote 1)
  • 1/2 block soft tofu , sliced to bite-size pieces (*Footnote 2)
  • 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder (or salt to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Instructions

  • Heat the chicken broth in a medium-size pot over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, green onion, garlic and light soy sauce.
  • When the broth starts to boil, add the white part of the napa cabbage and mushrooms (if using enoki mushrooms, add them later). Cook for 4 minutes, until the white part of the cabbage starts to soften.
  • Add the green part of the napa cabbage and tofu and continue cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes. If you are using enoki mushrooms, add them now.
  • Add the chicken bouillon powder (or salt), white pepper, and drizzle with sesame oil. Adjust seasoning by adding more salt if needed. Serve hot.

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Notes

  1. Many types of mushrooms work well in this soup. My favorites include oyster mushrooms, golden needle mushrooms (enoki), beech mushrooms (shimeji mushrooms) and regular white or brown mushrooms.
  2. You can use firm or medium tofu as well. If using these types of tofu, add them during step 2, at the same time you add the napa cabbage whites.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 67kcal, Carbohydrates: 6.4g, Protein: 6.3g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 0.4g, Sodium: 440mg, Potassium: 541mg, Fiber: 2.4g, Sugar: 2.7g, Calcium: 267mg, Iron: 3mg

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