A simple, easy recipe for Kimchi Soup with tofu, mushrooms, and greens that is vegan and gluten-free, adaptable, and can be made in 30 minutes, perfect for weeknight dinners!
I was never addicted to one thing, I was addicted to filling a void within myself with other things other than my own love.
~ Yung Pueblo
Why You’ll Love This Kimchi Soup Recipe!
Wondering what to do with all your homemade kimchi? We love making this kimchi soup recipe- a delcious, easy weeknight dinner. This version differs slightly from the traditional one in that we have made it vegan by omitting the pork belly and substituting earthy shiitake mushrooms to add depth and umami flavor. Instead of anchovie broth, we use veggie broth. It’s comforting and nourishing, and very easy to make. I think you’ll enjoy it, especially if you are a kimchi lover!
Kimchi Soup Recipe Ingredients
- Kimchi: Drained and chopped. Try our kimchi recipe!
- Shiitake mushrooms: Or substitute cremini mushrooms.
- Tofu: Use silken tofu, not firm tofu!
- Kale: Bok choy or other dark, leafy greens can be substituted. Or even kelp!
- Onion, garlic cloves, and fresh ginger: For depth and aromatic flavor. I like to use red onion for this recipe.
- Veggie broth: Or simply use water.
- Miso paste: Or sub soy sauce or gluten-free liquid aminos.
- Apple cider vinegar: Or use fresh lemon juice.
- Chili paste: Like sambal oelek (Korean chili paste).
- Agave: Optional, but adds a subtly sweet taste. Or sub honey, maple syrup, sugar, or an alternative.
- Toasted sesame oil: Do not skip this!
- Garnishes: Nori or toasted seaweed cut into strips, sesame seeds, scallions, and watercress.
- For serving: Serve over rice or rice noodles if you’d like.
How to Make Kimchi Soup
1. Sauté aromatics and mushrooms. Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and sauté 4-5 minutes, stirring. Add mushrooms and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt, then add garlic and ginger and cook 2-3 minutes, stirring, until garlic is fragrant.
2. Add kimchi. Add the chopped kimchi (cut into bite sized pieces), water, and miso paste.
3. Simmer and add remaining ingredients. Bring the pot to a simmer and stir until miso dissolves. Add salt, vinegar, honey, and chili paste, and stir. Add tofu, gently, then kale, and bring to a simmer. Be careful not to break up the delicate tofu (use a wood spoon). Let simmer 5 minutes.
4. Serve. Serve over individual bowls of rice or rice noodles, if you’d like. Drizzle a little toasted sesame oil over top (1-2 tablespoons), which adds earthy, rich flavor. This is imperative!! Garnish with sesame seeds, nori seaweed strips, or green onion. Or sprinkle with gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes).
Chef’s Tips
- Taste the kimchi before making the soup. Make sure the jar of kimchi tastes good to you, to start with. Some kimchi is spicier than others. Some kimchi is sourer than others. Some kimchi has fish sauce in it – which is not vegan – but will help with depth of flavor.
- Taste and adjust the flavor. The secret to Kimchi Soup is getting the broth to have enough depth and richness to balance out the spicy heat and sour flavors. You may need less vinegar, or more salt, for example. You may need to add another splash of soy sauce for depth. For my batch, the honey really helped balance things out.
- Don’t skip the toasted sesame oil. This imparts a deep, rich, earthy flavor that is essential to the overall balance of the soup.
- Cook the rice noodles in the soup pot. If you do this, make sure to not use too much! Four ounces of dry rice noodles is probably plenty. They will swell, a whole lot! You can also cook them separately and pour soup over top, especially if saving the soup for lunches or other meals.
- Change up the tofu. For more texture/flavor use this baked tofu, or crispy tofu, or the tofu from this Seoul Bowl (Vegan Bibimbap!).
- Serve with a different protein. If not vegan, serve the soup with beef, pork shoulder, or chicken.
Storage
Let cool, then store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
How to serve Kimchi Soup
I love this Kimchi Soup poured over a bowl of rice noodles or rice, but feel free to serve it just on its own.
It’s a good soup for frigid days, or when you have a cold and want something to warm you to the core.
FAQs
In addition to kimchi, this soup is made with aromatics like onion, garlic, and ginger, vegetables like shiitake and kale, silken tofu for protein, and for the perfect balance of flavor, miso paste, apple cider vinegar, chili paste, agave, and toasted sesame oil.
This kimchi soup is more broth-based. Kimchi stew tends to be thicker and bolder in flavor.
In Korea, this soup is traditionally served over a bowl of rice or rice noodles, along with other Korean dishes like Korean Cucumber Salad or Scallion Pancakes.
Let me know what you think below!
Have a great weekend. xoxo
More Ways to serve Kimchi!
- Kimchi Noodles
- Kimchi Fried Rice
- Sticky Gochujang Salmon Bowls
- How to Make Kimchi! A Quick Easy & Authentic Kimchi Recipe
Kimchi Soup with Tofu
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: soup, vegan,
- Method: stove-top
- Cuisine: Korean
Description
A simple, easy recipe for Kimchi Soup with tofu, mushrooms, and greens that is vegan and gluten-free, adaptable, and can be made in 30 minutes, perfect for weeknight dinners!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced (a red one is nice)
- 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, de-stemmed, cut into bite-sized pieces ( or sub cremeni)
- 4–6 fat garlic cloves, rough chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger, paste or finely minced
- 2 cups kimchi, drained, chopped
- 5 cups water or veggie broth
- 1 tablespoon miso paste (or soy sauce, or GF liquid aminos)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or lemon)
- 1 tablespoon chili paste (sambal oelek)
- 1–2 teaspoons agave, honey, maple (optional)- or use sugar or alternative sweetener
- 1 12 ounce package silken tofu, cut into small, 1/2-inch cubes (see notes on tofu)
- 1–2 large handfuls chopped greens- kale, bok choy, etc.
- generous drizzle of toasted sesame oil – imperative!
- garnishes : nori or toasted seaweed cut into strips, sesame seeds, scallions, watercress
Serve over noodles or rice if you like – see notes.
Instructions
- In a dutch oven, on the stove, heat oil over medium heat and saute onion 4-5 minutes, stirring, then add mushrooms and cook until tender, about 5 more minutes, seasoning them with a pinch of salt. Add garlic and ginger and continue cooking and stirring 2-3 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the chopped kimchi, water and miso paste.
- Bring to a simmer and stir until the miso dissolves. Add salt, vinegar, honey, chili paste, stirring until combined and simmering. Add tofu gently, then kale and gently bring to a simmer again, stirring, being careful not to break up the delicate tofu. I like to use a wood spoon for this- no sharp edges. 😉 Let this simmer for 5 minutes.
- Serve in bowls and for extra heartiness, you could serve over rice, or rice noodles.
- Drizzle with a little toasted sesame oil ( 1-2 tablespoons) which adds a delicious earthiness and richness. To me, this really makes the soup, so if you don’t have it, don’t make it.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and nori seaweed strips. ( cut thin strips with scissors)
- The nori strips add a ton of flavor too.
Notes
Kimchi: Every kimchi tastes slightly different. Make sure the kimchi tastes good to you, to start with. Some kimchi is spicier than others. Some kimchi is sourer than others. Some kimchi has fish sauce in it -which is not vegan- but will help with depth of flavor. Taste the soup as you season it. You may need less vinegar, or more salt, for example. You may need to add another splash of soy sauce for depth. For my batch, the honey really helped balance things out, and the sesame oil, made all the difference.
Rice Noodles: I cooked my rice noodles right in the kimchi soup pot. If you do this, make sure to not use too much! Four ounces of dry rice noodles is probably plenty. They will swell, a whole lot! You can also cook them separately and pour soup over top, especially if saving the soup for lunches or other meals.
Tofu: You can use silken tofu here (dropped right into to the soup like you would Miso soup) or for more texture/flavor this baked tofu, or crispy tofu, or the tofu from this Seoul Bowl (Vegan Bibimbap!).
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 279
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 764.1 mg
- Fat: 17.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 21.9 g
- Fiber: 5.5 g
- Protein: 14.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This is delicious and just the right amount of heat. What a wonderful blend of flavors. Thanks.
Thanks Jerry! Appreciate you taking the time to review.
THIS! THIS! THIS!
I first had tofu and Kim chi stew at my local Korean and loved it so much thought I’d give it a go not really expecting to get anything quite as good, well, was I wrong. I’m so glad I chose this recipe – I absolutely aced it and my oh my oh my – talk about DELICIOUS! And so nutritious! Thank you very much, this recipe is now in my folder and will be a permanent fixture for winter warmth. I’m even going to plant cabbage and make my own Kim. Hi for next winter.
I used dried mushrooms, soaked them and simmered them for half an hour before using them together with the water I soaked and cooked them in and it worked a treat!
Very very happy – thank you again!
So happy you enjoyed this Mel!
This is amazing! Thank you. Such wonderful flavours.
Great to hear Dawn!
Made this tonight and it was delicious – love it! Thank you.
Great to hear this Shedelle!
This is another FAH homerun recipe! Despite my not using fresh ginger or particularly high-quality kimchi, the soup is delicious! It’s also easy to adjust the level of heat for those who are spice sensitive and serve chili furikake and garlic chili sauce as condiments.
Oh – I addes gochujang paste for sweetness instead of honey.
Enjoy!
Nice! Thanks Ingrid.:)
I love kimchi and mushrooms so this was a terrific recipe for me to try and it was out of the world.
If you like different foods you must try this one.
Oh perfect! Glad you gave it a go Michelle!
Do you think this can be freezed?
I have not tried freezing this so not quite sure here how the textures would be after thawing?
I made heaps and froze it as several meals and it was still great!