Easy Asian Fusion Soup
Looking for an easy, quick, light weeknight dish filled with flavor and nutrition? Look no further. This soup is a good source of fiber, vitamins A and C, calcium, iron, manganese, and selenium. That is a lot of healthy goodness in one pot! You can customize this recipe easily by using whatever spices and vegetables you have on hand – see the end of the recipe for some ideas. Soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and sriracha are all high sodium foods. Use caution when using these ingredients – the nutritional information listed below uses all three, so you can see exactly how high the sodium can get when you use all three. If you watch your sodium (salt) intake, consider using only one of these ingredients.
- 4 c low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 c water
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 5 slices ginger
- Other optional spices (can use all, none, or any combination): 2 star anise pods, 1 Tbsp chopped lemon grass, 1 small cinnamon stick, 1 tsp coriander seeds, 5 black cardamom pods,
- 2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp hoisin sauce (optional)
- 1-2 tsp sriracha or chopped hot pepper (optional)
- 4 cups chopped vegetables (fresh or frozen, see ideas below)
- 8 oz finely chopped tofu
- 1 16 oz bag frozen Asian dumplings
- Fresh herbs for garnish, optional (cilantro, scallions, Thai basil)
Combine broth, water, garlic, ginger, spices, soy sauce, hoisin and sriracha in medium soup pot. Bring to a boil, simmer 5 minutes, turn off heat, cover and let sit at least 20 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to remove whole spices, garlic and ginger. Bring broth to a simmer, add vegetables and cook 2 minutes. Add tofu and frozen dumplings. Return to a simmer and cook about 4-5 minutes, until vegetables are just cooked through and dumplings are hot.
Garnish with herbs if desired.
Serves 4
Nutritional information based on frozen mixed Asian vegetables, vegetable dumplings, hoisin, and sriracha.
Nutritional Information: 335 calories, 10 g fat, 1.7 g saturated fat, 5.34 g polyunsaturated fat, 2.5g monounsaturated fat, 1183 mg sodium, 46 g carbohydrates, 7.6 g fiber, 15.8 g protein. Good source of (%DV): 57.4% vitamin A, 40% vitamin C, 30% calcium, 27% iron, 43% manganese, 31% selenium.
Make it yours:
- Frozen mixed Asian vegetables are the easiest way to go! Look for a good mix of colors to get the most nutritional punch.
- Broccoli, snow peas, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms with hoisin, star anise and scallions are a winning mix.
- For a taste of Thai: chinese cabbage, green beans, red pepper, kabocha squash with lemongrass, Thai basil and cilantro.
- For a Vietnamese twist: bok choy, carrots, bamboo shoots, and bean sprouts (add the sprouts with the herbs) with star anise, cinnamon, black cardamom, cilantro, and mint.
- For Japanese flavors: sweet potato (maybe add sweet potato with whole spices as it needs longer to cook than other vegetables), eggplant, edamame, and Napa cabbage, with scallions and perhaps a bit of wasabi.
