057 / 75 · Plant Meals with a Proper Center
Miso Tofu and Cabbage Hotpot
2 large bowls, each with half of all tofu, potatoes, vegetables and broth · Active 25 min · Cook 35 min · Total 50 min
Print recipe · PDFFirm tofu, red-skinned potatoes and napa cabbage simmer in a light ginger-miso broth. The potatoes provide a substantial base without another noodle or rice pot, and the cabbage leaves stay soft rather than fried. A small amount of soy sauce and sesame oil supports the broth. This is a saucepan hotpot served in two individual bowls, with no tabletop burner required.
Begin with the ingredient that needs the longest
Cut the potatoes into even small pieces and start them before the mushrooms, cabbage and tofu. The red skins stay on after a good scrub and help the pieces keep their shape. Napa cabbage has two different textures: thicker pale ribs need more time than thin green leaves. Slice the ribs finely and keep the leaves separate so each can go into the pot at the right stage. A heap of whole cabbage chunks would change both the cooking time and the amount of space needed under the lid.
Keep tofu in recognizable pieces
Drain the tofu's packing water and weigh the edible block before cutting. There is no pressing step here; pressing away additional water would change both texture and the relationship to the ingredient weight. Use firm calcium-set tofu cut into broad cubes. Ease the pieces into the almost tender vegetables and simmer gently under a lid. Vigorous stirring crumbles the block and makes the broth cloudy. Move a spoon along the pan edge if needed, and check a thick tofu center rather than assuming hot broth means every cold cube has heated through.
Dissolve the miso away from a hard boil
Scoop a little hot broth into a small bowl and mix in the miso until smooth, then stir that slurry back into the finished pot off the heat. This avoids salty lumps and keeps the flavor clear. The dish already has measured miso and soy sauce, so no extra salt is hidden in the water. Ladle both solids and broth evenly between two roomy bowls; do not give the first bowl all the tofu. Fresh scallion ends the meal with a little sharpness without requiring a separate salad.
Ingredients
- 10 1/2 oz plain firm calcium-set tofu, packing water drained (300 g edible block weight; do not press)
- 8 1/2 oz red potatoes, scrubbed, edible skins retained, cut into 5/8 inch/1.5 cm pieces (240 g)
- 7 oz napa cabbage, thick ribs thinly sliced and leaves torn separately (200 g)
- 3 1/2 oz fresh shiitake caps, tough stems removed, sliced (100 g edible weight)
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil (10 ml/9 g)
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger (15 g)
- About 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon water (500 ml/500 g)
- 2 teaspoons regular soy sauce (10 ml/10.5 g)
- About 1 1/2 tablespoons miso paste (25 g)
- 2 small scallions, thinly sliced (20 g)
Set out
Kitchen scale, knife, board and measuring jug, Lidded 3 qt/3 liter saucepan, Small bowl, ladle and broad spoon, Two soup bowls with capacity at least 1 qt/1 liter each, Food thermometer
Allergens
Soy, Sesame, Wheat in regular soy sauce; some miso also contains barley or wheat, so check its label.. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Prepare the potatoes, cabbage ribs/leaves and mushrooms before opening the tofu. Drain tofu packing liquid, weigh 300 g edible block without pressing and cut into 1 inch/2.5 cm cubes.
- Heat sesame oil in the saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir ginger for 30 seconds. Add potatoes, measured water and soy sauce. Bring to a gentle boil, cover and simmer for 10–12 minutes until the potatoes are starting to soften but are not yet fully tender.
- Add mushrooms and finely sliced cabbage ribs. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add torn cabbage leaves and tofu, pressing them gently into the liquid. Cover and simmer gently for 8–10 minutes until potatoes and cabbage are tender and the center of a thick tofu cube reaches 165°F/74°C. Turn tofu gently once if needed; extend cooking rather than breaking the pieces up with hard stirring.
- Take the pan off the heat. Mix miso with 2–3 tablespoons of the hot broth in a small bowl until smooth, then return all of it to the pan. Divide all tofu, potatoes, vegetables and broth evenly between the two bowls. Share all scallion over them and serve immediately.
One pot for the complete meal
Potatoes already give this hotpot a substantial center, so there is no need to manage another boiling pot after returning from training. Divide the complete broth and solids fairly; a bowl of broth left after the tofu has been eaten is not the same portion.
A useful detail
The tofu is weighed as a drained edible block, before any cooking, with no pressing loss. The estimate uses raw firm calcium-sulfate-set tofu; brand moisture varies. Plain water is the broth base, so stock or extra salt is not an unlisted ingredient.
Another way
- Use 200 g finely sliced savoy cabbage instead of napa, cooking until the ribs are tender before the tofu goes in.
- Replace 100 g shiitake caps with 100 g fresh oyster mushrooms, trimming their tough bases before weighing. Substitutions change the estimate.
Keep it well
Refrigerate saved soup in shallow containers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C. Keep covered at 40°F/4°C or below for up to 2 days, within any shorter tofu opening instruction. Reheat only the needed portion to 165°F/74°C throughout, checking tofu as well as broth. Carry cold in a leakproof insulated bag with two cold sources, not in a merely warm flask.