Equipment
Ingredients
Aromatics and Umami Base
- 1200 ml water
- 40 g fresh ginger, unpeeled and well washed
- 30 g scallions, roughly chopped
- 15 g dried shiitake mushrooms
Tea and Seasoning
- 10 g oolong tea leaves, loose leaf
- 15 ml tamari, gluten-free
- 3 g sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 24 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbohydrates
- 5 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 0 g
- Sodium
- 511 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Potassium
- 129 mg
- Calcium
- 14 mg
- Iron
- 0.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 15 mg
- Phosphorus
- 22 mg
- Zinc
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 4 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 2 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 16 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.02 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.06 mg
- Niacin
- 0.8 mg
- Folate
- 13 mcg
- Water
- 320 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Slice the unpeeled ginger into thin rounds and lightly crush the white segments of the scallions with the flat side of your knife to release their essential oils.
Measure the water into a medium saucepan and bring to a steady boil over medium-high heat, reaching 100°C/212°F.
Reduce the heat to low. Add the sliced ginger, crushed scallions, and dried shiitake mushrooms. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes to extract the aromatic and savory compounds.
Remove the saucepan entirely from the heat. Stir in the loose oolong tea leaves and let rest to steep for exactly 4 minutes. Steeping too long will extract excess tannins and cause bitterness.
Pour the hot broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean heat-proof bowl. Press gently on the solids with the back of a spoon to extract the remaining liquid, then discard the solids.
Stir the tamari and sea salt into the clear strained stock until fully dissolved. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary before using as a soup base.
Chef's Notes
- Leaving the skin on your ginger root saves time and actually adds a deeper, earthier color and flavor to the finished stock. Just ensure it is washed thoroughly.
- Do not discard the rehydrated shiitake mushrooms after straining. Slice them thinly and use them as a topping for your soup, or fold them into stir-fries.
- Oolong tea bridges the gap between green and black teas, offering the floral notes of green tea with the toasted depth of black tea. For a smokier faux-meat profile, you can swap 2 grams of the oolong for Lapsang Souchong.
- Because tea continues to release tannins as it sits, never store the broth with the tea leaves still in it. Strain immediately after the 4-minute mark.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store in an airtight glass jar or container.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze in pre-measured cubes or bags for easy soup starters.
Reheating: Warm gently over medium heat until steaming. Do not rapid boil to preserve the delicate tea aromatics.
Troubleshooting
Broth tastes unpleasantly bitter or astringent
Cause: Tea was boiled or steeped for longer than 4 minutes
Fix: Dilute with a small amount of hot water and add a pinch of sugar or maple syrup to balance the tannins
Prevention: Always remove the pot from the heat before adding tea, and set a timer for the steeping phase
Broth lacks depth and tastes watery
Cause: Simmering phase was rushed or ginger was too old/dry
Fix: Return to a simmer and add another 5ml of tamari or a splash of toasted sesame oil
Prevention: Allow the full 15 minutes for the mushrooms and ginger to simmer
Cultural Context
The practice of using tea as a savory broth foundation has ancient roots in Asian culinary traditions, notably in Japanese ochazuke, where green tea is poured over rice, and Hakka lei cha, a pounded tea soup. Using tea in a stock creates a sophisticated, tannic structure that mimics the mouthfeel of slow-simmered bone broths, making it a powerful technique for modern vegan cooking.
