Ingredients:

  • 8 cups (1.9 liters) Vegetable Broth (low sodium preferred)
  • 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce (low sodium)
  • 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
  • ½ teaspoon Ground White Pepper
  • 1-inch piece Ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
  • 1 medium Carrot, peeled and diced (approx. ¾ cup / 110g)
  • 1 Celery stalk, diced (approx. ½ cup / 75g)
  • 4 oz (113g) Shitake Mushrooms, stemmed and sliced (or other mushrooms like cremini)
  • 1 cup (70g) Napa Cabbage, roughly chopped
  • ½ cup (50g) Snow Peas, trimmed
  • ½ cup (40g) Corn Kernels (fresh or frozen)
  • 2 Scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish
  • Optional: 4 oz (113g) Firm Tofu, cubed
  • 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons Cold Water

Instructions:

  1. In a large pot, combine vegetable broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, ginger, and garlic. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
  2. Heat vegetable oil in the same pot. Sauté carrots and celery until slightly softened (about 3 minutes).
  3. Add sliced mushrooms and cook until they release their moisture and start to soften (about 5 minutes).
  4. Add Napa cabbage, snow peas, corn, and optional tofu. Simmer until the vegetables are tender-crisp (about 5-7 minutes).
  5. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and cold water to form a slurry. Slowly drizzle the slurry into the simmering soup, stirring constantly until the soup thickens slightly (about 1-2 minutes).
  6. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning as needed (add more soy sauce or salt if desired). Remove ginger slices before serving.
  7. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with sliced scallions. Serve hot.