028 / 75 · Soups, beans and broths
Ginger Tofu and Rice-Noodle Broth
2 noodle-broth bowls, each with half the rice noodles and 80 g/2¾ oz tofu · Active 16 min · Cook 13 min · Total 35 min
Print recipe · PDFFine rice vermicelli can soften in hot broth while the microwave is free. Choose the thin kind whose label calls for a short covered boiling-water soak, not a noodle that needs a prolonged boil. Ginger, carrot and mushrooms flavor the broth first. Tofu goes in after the noodles have softened, then the whole bowl gets a final even warming.
Read the noodle before choosing it
Rice noodles vary from hair-thin strands to wide firm ribbons. This formula uses fine vermicelli with a 4–5-minute off-heat boiling-water soak. That is a product condition, not a general promise for every rice noodle. Keep the strands below the broth and loosen them once during the stand so no dry knot remains at the surface.
Give tofu a separate final warm
A ready-to-eat tofu block still cools a hot broth when added from the refrigerator. Fold the cubes into the softened noodles, heat the mixture again and stir gently. Sesame oil and rice vinegar are measured last-seasonings, not extra drizzles. The broth should remain spoonable around the noodles rather than disappear into a dry noodle salad.
Ingredients
- 60 g (2 oz) dry fine rice vermicelli, with label directions for a 4–5-minute boiling-water soak without further boiling
- 160 g (5⅔ oz) plain firm ready-to-eat tofu, drained and cut into 1.5 cm/⅝ in cubes
- 60 g (2 oz) prepared carrot, cut into thin 2 mm/1⁄16 in short matchsticks
- 80 g (2¾ oz) fresh cultivated white button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus), cleaned and thinly sliced
- 6 g peeled fresh ginger (about 1 tbsp finely grated)
- 600 ml (about 2½ US cups) ready-to-use lower-sodium vegetable stock
- 10 ml soy sauce (2 tsp)
- 5 ml toasted sesame oil (1 tsp)
- 10 ml rice vinegar (2 tsp)
- 10 g washed scallion (about 2 tbsp thinly sliced), white and green parts used
Set out
1000 W microwave with turntable, Kitchen scale and measuring jug, Knife and board, Spoon, Oven mitts, Two serving bowls, Microwave-safe bowl, at least 3 L/about 3¼ US qt measured capacity, about 22 cm/8¾ in inside diameter and 11 cm/4¼ in deep, Microwave-safe vented cover, Fork or tongs, Fine grater, Food thermometer
Allergens
Soy, Sesame, Wheat. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Put the carrot, mushrooms, ginger and 45 ml/3 tbsp of the stock in the 3 L bowl. Cover with a vent. Microwave at 1000 W full power for 3 minutes, stir, then cook for 2 minutes more until the carrot is beginning to soften.
- Add the remaining 555 ml stock and all the soy sauce. Cover with a vent and heat at full power for 4–5 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes, until the broth is visibly boiling. Carefully lower all the dry vermicelli into the broth; break the dry bundle once if needed to fit below the surface. Stir with a fork or tongs and cover with the vent open.
- Leave to stand for the full noodle-package interval, normally 4–5 minutes, loosening the strands once halfway. Confirm that the noodles are flexible and fully tender with no dry or hard center. If they need longer, continue the covered stand; if a different product requires boiling, it is not the specified noodle for this method.
- Fold in all the ready-to-eat tofu and sliced scallion. Cover with a vent and microwave at full power for 2–3 minutes, stirring gently halfway. Stand covered for 2 minutes, stir and check that the broth and tofu centers are hot throughout; a thermometer target of 165°F/74°C is useful after the chilled addition. Add the sesame oil and rice vinegar, then divide all noodles, tofu, vegetables and broth equally between two bowls.
Every cube belongs in the bowl
The specified 160 g tofu is ready to eat before warming; do not substitute raw animal protein or assume a different tofu product has the same preparation requirements.
Loosen before dividing
Lift and separate the soft noodles before ladling the broth. Otherwise one serving can take most of the grain while the other gets mostly liquid.
Ingredient labels
Soy sauce commonly contains wheat as well as soy. Tofu contains soy, and sesame oil contains sesame. Check the actual noodle and stock labels for other allergens. Use only the specified cultivated white button mushrooms; wild or specialty mushroom substitutions are outside this method.
A useful detail
The 35-minute plan allows 10 minutes of preparation, up to 13 minutes of sequential heating, a 5-minute noodle stand, the final 2-minute covered stand and 5 minutes to loosen and portion. The starting oven is 1000 W. The off-heat noodle stage is part of the method, not an omitted cooking task, and a longer actual package interval extends the total.
Another way
- Use 60 g/2 oz bean-thread vermicelli only if its package likewise specifies a 4–5-minute boiling-water soak without further boiling. Its texture and starch are different; the same full label process still controls.
- Replace mushrooms with 80 g/2¾ oz thinly sliced fresh courgette. Keep the first vegetable stage and cook until the thin pieces yield readily.
Keep it well
Refrigerate shallow reserved portions promptly, ideally within 1 hour of the noodle cook, at 40°F/4°C or below. Use within 24 hours of that original cooking or an earlier tofu-package deadline. Reheat a chilled portion only once under a vented cover, adding 15–30 ml/1–2 tbsp water if needed and stirring gently; stand 2 minutes and verify 165°F/74°C throughout. The short rice-noodle limit is a conservative collection choice; do not reset it when mixing ingredients.