Equipment
Ingredients
Broth Base
- 20 g dried shiitake mushrooms
- 15 g dried porcini mushrooms
- 1000 ml water, boiling
Aromatics and Body
- 15 ml neutral cooking oil
- 15 g garlic, minced
- 15 g ginger, minced
- 150 g white mushrooms, sliced 5mm thick
- 150 g cremini mushrooms, sliced 5mm thick
- 300 g firm tofu, cut into 1.5cm cubes
Seasonings and Garnish
- 45 ml soy sauce
- 5 ml toasted sesame oil
- 1 g white pepper, finely ground
- 20 g scallions, thinly sliced
- salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 163 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbohydrates
- 15 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 834 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Potassium
- 627 mg
- Calcium
- 180 mg
- Iron
- 2.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 61 mg
- Phosphorus
- 222 mg
- Zinc
- 2.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 3 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 4 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 12 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.14 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.47 mg
- Niacin
- 3.9 mg
- Folate
- 43 mcg
- Water
- 400 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the dried shiitake and dried porcini mushrooms in a heatproof bowl. Pour the 100°C/212°F boiling water over them, ensuring they are submerged. Let steep for 20 minutes.
Remove the rehydrated mushrooms from the liquid, squeezing gently over the bowl to extract excess water. Slice the mushrooms thinly, discarding any tough shiitake stems. Strain the remaining soaking liquid through a fine mesh strainer to remove any grit, reserving the liquid.
Heat the neutral cooking oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and ginger, sauteing until highly fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute.
Increase the heat slightly. Add the sliced white mushrooms and cremini mushrooms to the pot. Sauté until they release their moisture and begin to brown lightly, about 5 minutes.
Pour the reserved strained mushroom liquid into the pot, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Add the sliced rehydrated mushrooms, soy sauce, and white pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil at 100°C/212°F, then reduce the heat to low.
Gently fold the cubed firm tofu into the broth. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes to allow the tofu to absorb the flavors without breaking apart.
Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the toasted sesame oil. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning with salt if necessary. Ladle into bowls and garnish with sliced scallions.
Chef's Notes
- Combining both dried and fresh mushrooms builds layered umami. The dried varieties provide a deep, concentrated backbone, while the fresh mushrooms add bulk, texture, and a brighter earthiness.
- Do not skip straining the soaking liquid. Wild and dried mushrooms naturally retain trace amounts of forest floor debris that will ruin the delicate mouthfeel of the soup if left unchecked.
- White pepper is essential here; it provides a floral, lingering heat that black pepper cannot replicate, cutting through the dense savory notes of the broth.
- For an even clearer consomme-style broth, avoid stirring the soup completely once the soaking liquid is added, allowing any fine particles to sink to the bottom of the pot.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container. The flavors will deepen overnight.
Freezer: 3 months — Freezing will change the texture of the firm tofu, making it spongy. Remove the tofu before freezing if this texture is undesirable.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat until simmering.
Troubleshooting
Broth has a gritty or sandy texture
Cause: Dirt from the dried mushrooms carried over into the final broth
Fix: Carefully pour the finished soup through a fine mesh strainer, retrieving the solids, then recombine
Prevention: Strain the soaking liquid through a fine mesh strainer lined with a coffee filter, and discard the very bottom sediment
Broth tastes bitter
Cause: Aromatics were burned during the initial saute, or poor quality dried mushrooms were used
Fix: Cannot be completely fixed, but adding a tiny pinch of sugar can help balance the bitterness
Prevention: Monitor the garlic and ginger closely, stirring constantly and ensuring the heat is not too high
Tofu crumbles into small pieces
Cause: The soup was boiled too vigorously or stirred too aggressively after the tofu was added
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Maintain a gentle simmer and use a folding motion rather than aggressive stirring once the tofu is introduced
Cultural Context
The combination of dried shiitake mushrooms and tofu is a cornerstone of East Asian vegetarian cooking. Historically developed by Buddhist monks to create satisfying, meat-free meals, the technique of utilizing mushroom steeping liquid creates an intensely savory base that rivals the depth of traditional bone broths.
