This Tofu and Mushroom Soup with Shiso recipe makes a tasty vegetarian soup that’s ready to serve in 40 minutes. It is wonderful on its own, or as part of complete meal with salad, grainy bread and fruit.
I am that gardener who rescues parched plants (“How much for that dead daisy?”) and re-homes potager pests (“Would anyone like a slug?”), because I CANNOT BEAR to see them perish. This is how I became “The Shiso Queen.”
Shiso is a mint-family herb popular in Asian cuisine. In our fair realm, shiso sprouts are one of the heralds of spring, and shiso flowers are among the harbingers of fall. As the white (and sometimes pink or purple) flower spikes mature they release their tiny seeds. This self-seeding results in a mass planting of shiso the following spring.
I could remove the shiso flowers to prevent them from self-seeding (“Off with their heads!”), but our bees find them to be delicious, as do we. Since it vexes me to see plants die, instead of banishing hundreds of extra shiso seedlings to the compost pile, I keep as many as possible and bestow the rest upon family and friends who – because of my ongoing giveaways – jokingly call me “The Shiso Queen.”
Shiso is aromatic plant with attractive foliage. It does well in full sun to partial shade, most varieties reach 36″ or taller, and it doesn’t mind being a little crowded. Fresh Shiso isn’t widely available in stores, but a quick internet search reveals retailers with seeds for varieties including purple-red (also used as a food dye), completely green, green leaves with purple-red undersides, large flat leaves, and micro leaves. Depending on the variety and your palate, shiso tastes of mint, basil, clove, cinnamon or anise. Sometimes it’s listed under different names such as Perilla, Japanese basil, Ooba or Beefsteak Plant.
Even if you don’t recognize shiso by name, you may have seen it. Fresh shiso leaves are often used as a garnish or wrap for sushi and sashimi. In addition to the leaves (used fresh and dried), the flowers and seeds are also edible, and all three are used as a flavoring. I’ve used shiso for goodies including rice, noodle, vegetables, salads, pesto, bread, iced tea, syrup, flavored sugar and ice cream.
This Tofu and Mushroom Soup with Shiso recipe yields approximately 2 quarts (8 cups); I have it set at 4 servings. I’ve found that two or three large leaves and/or flowers per bowl is enough. But as always, my fellow sovereigns, you are free to issue your own royal edicts in your kitchen garden kingdoms.
Variations:
- This is a great soup to use up the vegetables in your crisper. Cauliflower makes a nice addition, as does fresh corn. We like a sprinkle of chopped nuts. You can also experiment by adding different mushrooms. I use Maitake (aka Hen of the Woods) mushrooms when they are available in our markets.
- If you don’t have Tamari sauce on hand, you can substitute soy sauce. But, be aware that most tamari sauce is gluten-free (ALWAYS double-check), and is less salty then soy sauce. Most soy sauce is not gluten-free.
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I’ve been making this Tofu and Mushroom Soup with Shiso for years. I wrote the recipe in 2014, and in 2016 it was published in a Glamorosi Cooks post for Heirloom Gardener Magazine.
For info on growing your own, read the Glamorosi Cooks article How to Grow, Harvest and Cook with Shiso. Until your shiso harvest is ready, use a strong-flavored herb like Thai basil for this soup.
If you enjoy this soup, you may also like this Roasted Cauliflower Soup.
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 30 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 16 oz tofu extra firm, cubed
- 12 cups broccoli cut into small florets
- 8 oz mushrooms sliced
- 3 carrots large, diced
- 1 onion large, diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tbsp. ginger fresh, grated
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp tamari sauce
- pepper to taste
- salt to taste
- 16-24 shiso leaves and/or flowers, washed
Ingredients
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- Coat a stockpot or Dutch oven with olive oil, add garlic and ginger. Bring pot to medium heat while stirring to coat the ingredients with oil.
- Add carrots and onions, once again stirring to coat with oil. Cook until the carrots begin to soften and the onions begin to turn clear (5-10 minutes).
- Add vegetable stock to pot, bring to boil, immediately reduce heat to low. Add tofu, broccoli and mushrooms to pot, stir gently. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Taste the soup, add tamari sauce, taste again, add more tamari or salt and/or pepper to taste.
- Simmer soup on low for 10 minutes, ladle into bowls, garnish with shiso and serve.
