Recipe: Gingery Tofu Slow Cooker Soup

There is magic in making broth. With a wave of time’s wand, a humble handful of vegetables and seasonings transform plain water into a nourishing elixir, building the foundation for a light, satisfying soup. Enhance that broth with spicy fresh ginger, citrusy lemon peel, and savory shiitake stems to get yourself over the midweek hump. Simmer the broth all day to extract the flavor and nuance from the vegetables. Stir in silky cubes of tofu, chopped bok choy, and nutty soba noodles just before serving for a soup that is both energizing and restorative.

A slow cooker’s ability to hold a steady simmer makes it ideal for brewing broth, a gift since the fact is that no boxed vegetable broth holds a candle to the homemade variety. Boxed broths often lean too heavily on the carrot, lack depth, and can have a distinctly metallic aftertaste. Use the boxed stuff when a flavorful liquid needs only to play a background role. But when the flavors are light, fresh, and delicate, and when you really want the broth to shine, it is best to start with a few fresh ingredients.

Build the broth in the morning and cook low and slow for the duration of the day. When your day’s to-do list is complete, open the lid and lift out the spent vegetables with a slotted spoon.

Slicing and portioning mushroom tops, tofu, and soba noodles when assembling my broth means that when the broth is ready, so am I with no additional chopping or measuring. The fragrance of the warm gingery soup perfumes the kitchen, rejuvenating you after a long day. The light broth and barely cooked bok choy and shiitake give the illusion of a light, refreshing soup. But it is a complete and satisfying meal, thanks to the addition of silky tofu and hearty soba noodles. Leave them off if you want something light and soothing. Serve with a wedge of lemon to squeeze over the soup to wake up the earthy flavors and amplify the brightness of the ginger broth.

You can even try making this soup overnight and waking up to a warm and savory cup of this gingery broth for breakfast.

The slow cooker is a handy tool for every kind of kitchen — including ones where vegetable-driven, plant-powered, meat-free food is the order of the day. In this series we’re sharing five essential vegetarian soups to make in the slow cooker.

We’ll show you how to come home to a simmering pot of lentils, a better-than-the-box vegetable broth, a luxurious cream of mushroom soup, a brothy vegetable soup for chilly nights, and a classic chili that’s perfect for busy weeknights or game day.