Lemongrass Miso Noodle Soup with Five Spice Tofu

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Lemongrass Miso Ginger Noodle Soup with five spice tofu

This Lemongrass Miso Noodle Soup with Five Spice Tofu is everything you’ll love in a bowl —chewy wheat noodles in an aromatic soup base is packed with flavors from charred onion, ginger, and lemongrass. Then there’s the miso paste that’s packed with umami. The five spice tofu is flavorful and adds a nice layer of texture and flavor to the overall noodle soup.

Enjoy this with some stir-fried mushrooms, blanched vegetables, chili oil, green onions, and sesame seeds to complete the dish and have an incredibly comforting dish perfect for the cold winter months.

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED

FOR THE FIVE SPICE TOFU & MUSHROOMS

1 lb extra firm tofu drained and pressed
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
1 tbsp maple syrup or other sweetener
1 tbsp sesame oil
Neutral oil for cooking
3.5 oz shimeji mushrooms or other mushrooms of choice

WHAT IS FIVE SPICE POWDER?

Chinese five spice powder is a mix of 5 or more spices used mostly in Chinese cuisine. It’s a mix of cinnamon, star anise, fennel, cloves, and the fifth component can be Sichuan peppercorns, ginger, or white pepper. It’s an incredibly aromatic and versatile spice mix you can use in different ways. For this recipe, I used it to season the tofu.

LEMONGRASS MSO BROTH

1 small red onion peeled and sliced in half
2 slices ginger 1/2-inch thick each
1 tbsp neutral cooking oil
1 tbsp minced lemongrass
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
2 tbsp Yondu umami seasoning or soy sauce to taste
1 tbsp miso paste

NOODLES

6.5 oz wheat noodles of choice (180 g total)

ADD-ONS/TOPPINGS

Mushrooms
Napa cabbage or other greens
Sliced green onions
Chili oil
Toasted sesame seeds

lemongrass miso noodle soup with five spice tofu

PREPARE THE FIVE SPICE TOFU & MUSHROOMS

Drain the tofu from water. To press, I like to wrap mine in some paper towels and placing a heavy weighted surface on top of the tofu to draw out excess water.
Afterwards, slice the tofu not 3/4 to 1-inch thick pieces.
Prepare the marinade by mixing together the soy sauce, five spice powder, marek syrup or other sweetener, and sesame oil in a large container with a lid.
Add the pieces of tofu into the marinade and coat well on both sides. Leave to marinate for at least 1 hour, or best to marinate overnight. If marinating overnight, be sure to keep the container covered and refrigerated.

COOK THE TOFU (AND ANY VEGETABLES)

To cook the tofu, heat a medium sized skillet or non-stick pan with a thin layer of oil. Once hot, add the pieces of marinated tofu in.
Pan-fry the tofu until lightly brown on both sides. Add the remaining marinade into the pan and heat to a gentle simmer. Reduce the sauce over medium heat. Once the sauce has reduced, turn off the heat. Set aside the tofu for topping later on.
In the same pan, stir-fry mushrooms of choice. I used white shimeji mushrooms and left these untouched on the same pan with light oil until lightly brown. This helps draw out excess moisture.
You can season the mushrooms with some salt and get any of the excess seasonings from the tofu earlier on!

LEMONGRASS MISO BROTH

PREPARE THE AROMATICS

Over an open flame (I use my gas range), place the onions cut-side down. Leave over the flame for 2-3 minutes or until you start to get charred edges. Carefully flip to repeat on the remaining side. Repeat this for the slices of ginger.
If you don’t have a gas range, you can opt to char the onion and ginger on a skillet or even the pot you’ll use for the soup over high heat until you get charring at the edges. This adds a nice smoky flavor to the broth.

MAKE THE BROTH

Move the charred onion and ginger into a medium sized pot. Add some oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the minced lemongrass and sauté for 1-2 minutes until aromatic.
Add the vegetable broth and water. Add the umami seasoning or soy sauce. Covet the pot and turn up the heat to medium high for the broth to a boil.
Once it boils, lower the heat. Add the miso paste. You can run the miso paste through a strainer to prevent any clumps.
You can opt to cook your vegetables of choice in the broth or in the pot of water for the noodles until tender. Set aside.

THE NOODLES

Boil a pot of water. Add the noodles and cook until al dente or chewy to your liking.

TO SERVE YOUR NOODLE SOUP

Add the noodles into a bowl. Add the hot broth into the bowl.
Top with the tofu, mushrooms, and other add-ins/toppings of choice.
Serve while hot, and enjoy!

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Lemongrass Miso Noodle Soup with Five Spice Tofu

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This Lemongrass Miso Noodle Soup with Five Spice Tofu is everything you’ll love in a bowl —chewy wheat noodles in an aromatic soup base is packed with flavors from charred onion, ginger, and lemongrass. Then there’s the miso paste that’s packed with umami. The five spice tofu is flavorful and adds a nice layer of texture and flavor to the overall noodle soup. Enjoy this with some stir-fried mushrooms, blanched vegetables, chili oil, green onions, and sesame seeds to complete the dish and have an incredibly comforting dish perfect for the cold winter months.

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Prep Time 25

Cook Time 25

Total Time 50

Course Main Course, Soup, Soups, Starters

Cuisine Asian, Chinese, East Asian, Fusion, Singaporean, Southeast Asian, Thai, Vietnamese

Servings servings

Calories 767 kcal