Immunity Soup
A warming tofu and mushroom soup with ginger, garlic, and white pepper, finished with crisp radish, scallions, and tender greens.
Prep 20 min · Cook 30 min · Total 50 min · Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced
- 3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
- 8 medium garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons grated ginger, peeled
- 3/4 teaspoon finely ground white pepper, plus more to taste
- 1 1/2 cups mushrooms, trimmed
- 8 ounces firm tofu, sliced into thin slabs
- 2 1/2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
- To serve: lots of chopped green onions, sliced watermelon radish, and/or pea shoots
Directions
Warm the oil in a large soup pot set over medium heat, then add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and ginger. Cook gently until the vegetables have softened, without letting them take on color. If the pot starts to look dry, splash in a little water. Sprinkle in the white pepper, then pour in 10 cups of water. Raise the heat until the broth reaches a simmer, then maintain that gentle bubbling for about 15 minutes. Add the mushrooms, tofu, and salt, and let everything simmer softly for another 5 minutes. Stir thoroughly, taste, and adjust with extra salt or water if it needs it. Spoon the soup into shallow bowls and finish with plenty of green onions, pea shoots, and a few slices of watermelon radish. Drizzle with a little olive oil at the end.