Don’t you just love fall? One of my favorite things about this season is that our CSA brings us bunch after bunch of dark leafy greens. The other thing I love about fall is that it screams for soups. Soup is one of my favorite things to eat. It’s so easy to throw a soup together with whatever’s in your pantry or in season! This vegan tofu lemongrass soup recipe takes advantage of fall’s kale bounty!
Kale is super healthy. It’s got all the cancer-fighting power of other cruciferous vegetables, and it’s even got a couple of grams of protein in a one-cup serving. You can read more about kale’s super powers in my article about it on Care2.
Substitutions
The lemongrass I used for this recipe came in my CSA basket, but you can also find lemongrass at Asian markets and even sometimes at the supermarket. Having trouble finding lemongrass? Don’t worry! Just up the lemon juice to a whole lemon. It won’t have exactly the same taste, but you’ll still get that extra citrusy kick.
If your CSA or farmers market has other dark leafy greens that look good, don’t be shy about substituting them for the kale in this recipe! For more delicate greens – like spinach, bok choy, or Swiss chard – add them when you add the broth instead of at the beginning. They’ll wilt nicely with just a few minutes in the simmering soup.
Tofu Lemongrass Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 cup bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 a sweet onion, chopped
- 3 stalks lemongrass, cut into 2″ long pieces
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
- 2 cups kale, chopped
- 1 block extra firm tofu, cut into bite-sized cubes
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce (you can use more, if you want your soup to be hotter)
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- juce of 1 lemon
- handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
Cooking Directions
- Heat the oil in a soup pot on medium high, and add the bell pepper, onion, lemongrass, ginger, kale, and tofu. Saute, stirring, until the kale turns a beautiful bright green, about five minutes.
- Add the broth, soy sauce, Sriracha, and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let your soup simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, and stir in the lemon juice.
- Serve topped with fresh cilantro.
Laura
Sounds great, warms me up just reading about it.
Becky Striepe
Aw, thank you! It’s definitely a favorite around here.
Patrick Yu
It sounds great for 50’s type of weather. How is kale for the stomach. I have been getting lots of problems with stomach virus, diarrhea etc. ?
Becky Striepe
I can’t say for sure. My hubby has a sensitive stomach, though, and he eats tons of kale with no issues. Stomach problems can come from all kinds of causes though, so what works for us might not work for you.
Esther at A,B,C,Vegan
Mmmm… kale and lemongrass, too of my favorite things. Wonderful!
Becky Striepe
Thanks, Esther! They’re high up on my list, too!
Jes
Oooh this soup looks incredible! (Sans cilantro, ick.) I don’t know if the weather is as nasty down south as up here, but, dang, this soup would be perfect for today!
Becky Striepe
The weather here has been not too bad – 50’s at night, 60’s and 70s during the day, though it’s a little overcast here today. I hope the soup warms you up! The cilantro is totally optional. You might try garnishing with a little parsley or fresh basil instead, or just skipping the herb part completely!
Beth - whiny vegans
I remember the first time I tried lemongrass, I used it completely wrong and it came out terrible! But that was a long, long time ago and I think I need to give it another try, because it has a great flavor. Bookmarking this recipe! Glad I found your blog!
Becky Striepe
I am so glad you’re giving it another go!
luminousvegans
This sounds like the perfect thing to have on a cool fall day. I love lemongrass in soups and of course kale is good in almost anything 🙂
Becky Striepe
Hurrah for kale! 🙂