Equipment
- dutch oven or large stock pot with lid
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 medium carrots, sliced
- 4 celery ribs, sliced
- 8 fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- 14 oz firm tofu, or extra-firm (not silken), frozen overnight, thawed, pressed for 30 minutes (I use a TofuXpress) and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 4 quarts vegetable broth, no-chicken broth preferred
- 12 oz egg noodles, wide; use eggless noodles for vegan
- ½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat.
- Add the onions, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Add the tofu and cook for another 5 minutes, until the vegetables have softened but not browned.
- Pour in the broth, raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Add the egg noodles, reduce the heat to a lively simmer and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the noodles are just shy of tender. (They'll keep cooking in the hot broth after you take the pot off the heat, so they won't get mushy.)
- Remove from the heat and discard the thyme stems and bay leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and garnish with the chopped parsley before serving.
Notes
Plan ahead: freeze the tofu the night before, then thaw and press it for about 30 minutes before cooking (pressing time isn't included in the prep time).
Broth: no-chicken broth or no-chicken bouillon (such as Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base) gives the most classic flavor. Regular vegetable broth works too.
Vegan: use eggless noodles, such as rice noodles or eggless pasta, and a vegan broth.
Leftovers: the noodles soak up broth as the soup sits. Add a splash of broth or water when reheating, or cook the noodles separately if you plan on leftovers. Freeze the soup without noodles for up to 3 months.
Nutrition (estimated per serving)
Calories: 291kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 11gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 1930mgPotassium: 283mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 6504IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 108mgIron: 2mg
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