The five-minute soup I make when I want the sea in a bowl is this one – seaweed tofu soup, and this home cook’s version blooms the dried shrimp with garlic and scallion before a drop of water. A home cook wrote it in seven steps with the finish in the title: the nori goes in last and the soup is shockingly savory. I made it as written, and it is the light, sea-sweet bowl that is on the table before the rice is done.
Zi cai dou fu tang (紫菜豆腐汤) is seaweed tofu soup – soft tofu simmered in a broth of toasted dried shrimp, garlic, and scallion, finished with nori, a spoon of soy, and white pepper.
What Is Seaweed Tofu Soup?
This is the fastest of the sea soups: a little oil blooms the garlic, the white of the scallion, and a handful of dried shrimp until they smell of the shore. Cubed tofu goes in with two bowls of water; once it boils, the nori (zi cai) is added – it needs only seconds – with a spoon of soy, salt, and white pepper. A scatter of scallion and it is done.
For the silken soup without the sea, my silken tofu potage is the gentlest bowl.
1Silken Tofu Potage (Doufu Geng)A comforting, savory Chinese thick soup (Geng) made with silken tofu, minced pork, ham, and egg ribbons. A quick and nutritious meal ready in 20 minutes.Check out this recipe
Why This Recipe Works
- The shrimp bloom. Garlic, scallion, and dried shrimp – the sea base.
- Tofu in two bowls of water. Soft and quick.
- Nori last. Seconds, not minutes.
- The soy and white pepper. The final savory lift.
- Five minutes. Soup before rice.
Equipment Needed
- A pot
- A ladle
Ingredients
- 1/2 block of soft tofu, cubed
- 1 tbsp dried shrimp
- A sheet or two of nori (zi cai)
- 2 cloves garlic, and the white of a scallion
- 1 tbsp light soy, and a little salt and white pepper
- A little scallion greens and oil
Ingredient Notes
Dried shrimp: Bloomed for the sea base. Nori: The last addition – it needs only seconds. The finish: Soy and white pepper. My milky crucian carp tofu soup is the longer, milkier sea bowl.
Prep & Mise en Place
Cube the tofu; mince the garlic; tear the scallion; have the nori and shrimp ready.
Cooking Process
Step 1 – Heat a little oil in the pot and bloom the garlic, scal
Heat a little oil in the pot and bloom the garlic, scallion white, and dried shrimp.
Step 2 – Cut the tofu into cubes and add two bowls of water
Cut the tofu into cubes and add two bowls of water.
Step 3 – Bring to a boil
Bring to a boil.
Step 4 – Add the nori
Add the nori.
Step 5 – Season with a spoon of light soy, salt, and white peppe
Season with a spoon of light soy, salt, and white pepper.
Step 6 – Scatter the scallion greens
Scatter the scallion greens.
Step 7 – Shockingly savory – ladle it out
Shockingly savory – ladle it out.
Common Mistakes When Making This Dish
1. A fishy, harsh shrimp note. Cause: not blooming. Fix: fry the shrimp until fragrant first. 2. Soggy, mushy nori. Cause: boiled too long. Fix: nori last, seconds only. 3. A cloudy broth. Cause: hard boiling with the tofu. Fix: a gentle boil. 4. A one-note saltiness. Cause: soy alone. Fix: the white pepper. 5. A bland bowl. Cause: timid shrimp. Fix: a full spoon.
Variations
With egg: Drizzle beaten egg at the end. Silken tofu: Use silken for a softer bite. My tofu mushroom soup with egg is the mushroom-sea version.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is zi cai? Dried nori – the papery sea vegetable that needs only seconds in broth. Why bloom the shrimp? Raw dried shrimp taste fishy; bloomed they smell of the shore. Can I skip the shrimp? For a vegetarian bowl, yes – add a little more soy. How long does it take? About five minutes. Is it spicy? Only from the white pepper – my savory tofu and egg stir-fry is the plate to go with it, and cold tofu-skin salad the cool side.
How to Serve
Serve with rice or alone – with silken tofu potage, tofu mushroom soup with egg, and home-style tofu for a light table, or with braised tofu with bok choy and golden pan-fried tofu for contrast.
Storage & Reheat
Best fresh; refrigerate 1 day. Never leave out more than 2 hours.
Allergen Notice
This recipe contains shellfish (dried shrimp) and soy (tofu, soy). It is free of gluten (verify the soy), dairy, egg, nuts, and fish.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
About the Author & Recipe Development
I am Jason Guo, a Chinese chef who has cooked professionally for more than five years – including time as a head chef – and now runs my own small restaurant in China, where tofu appears on the menu almost every day. This xiachufang cook’s seaweed tofu soup is the five-minute bowl of my service days, and the recipe’s bloom-first order is exactly why the broth tastes of the sea. I tested it as written. I have not tested the vegetarian version, so that is your experiment, not my claim.
Authoritative References
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service – Safe Temperature Chart for safe storage of cooked dishes.
Seaweed Tofu Soup (紫菜豆腐汤): The Five-Minute Sea Bowl
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat a little oil in the pot and bloom the garlic, scallion white, and dried shrimp.
- Cut the tofu into cubes and add two bowls of water.
- Bring to a boil.
- Add the nori.
- Season with a spoon of light soy, salt, and white pepper.
- Scatter the scallion greens.
- Shockingly savory - ladle it out.
