How to Make an Easy, Basic Spinach Tofu Soup

Spinach tofu soup is a standard home-cooked dish among Chinese people, not often found in restaurants. It's simple and quick to make.




Things You'll Need:
* 3 quarts pork broth.
* If you can't find/make pork broth and plan to substitute chicken broth or vegetable broth, you'll also need a quarter-handful of good-quality ground pork.
* spinach: one bundle (wash well) or one grocery store salad bag. Remember that raw spinach has five times the volume of cooked.
* one package extra-firm white tofu, cut into small cubes
* one bundle mei fun (optional). This is sometimes called "bean thread" and is a long, thin, translucent white noodle.
* sliced mushrooms (optional)
* Chinese-style pickled radishes (optional). Comes in jars or cans, sold in Asian grocery stores.
* eggs: one per bowl (optional)
* 1 teaspoon corn oil
* sesame oil to taste
* black pepper to taste



spinach, tofu, and a bundle of mei fun

Step One
At the bottom of the soup pot, sauté the tofu and any mushrooms in a small amount of corn oil, until the mushrooms are soft and the tofu is slightly browned and crisped. Also brown any ground pork.

Step Two
Pour the broth into the pot and bring it to a boil. Add mei fun and radishes (if using any).

Step Three
When it comes to a boil again, stir in the spinach. Cook for a minute more, until all of the spinach has wilted into the liquid.

If you're including eggs, drop them whole into the soup just before the spinach is done. Stir carefully until the whites are cooked, then turn off the heat. Don't let the spinach cook too long.

Ready to Serve
When serving, add some black pepper and sesame oil to each bowl. If the soup doesn't seem salty enough, also add soy sauce.