I’ve put together Soba Noodles in miso broth with bok choy, mushrooms, tofu, and green onions that’s vegan, gluten-free, and ready in under 30 minutes.
I never expected a bowl to flip my weeknight routine like this. I stumbled into deep, savory notes and the crunch of bok choy by accident, and the meatiness of shiitake mushrooms just made everything sing.
As a food writer I get picky, but this Soba Noodles Recipe kept pulling me back for one more spoonful. It feels simple but there are layers that keep changing as it cools, you notice new little things each time.
If you like slurpy noodles and soups that hide smart tricks in plain sight, this Vegan Soup will do it.
Ingredients
- Earthy buckwheat soba noodles, high in complex carbs and fiber, hearty and nutty.
- Extra firm tofu gives plant protein, iron, absorbs broth flavors, adds creamy bite.
- Wild mushrooms bring umami, fiber and B vitamins, they add meaty savory texture.
- Baby bok choy offers vitamin C, K and fiber, crisp stalks with mild bitter notes.
- White miso adds mellow umami, probiotics and a gentle sweet salty balance.
- Fresh ginger adds zing, anti inflammatory benefits and a bright warm spice.
- Toasted sesame oil gives nutty aroma and depth, use sparingly for big flavor.
- Tamari adds salty savory backbone, usually more gluten free than regular soy.
- Lime brightens with citrusy acidity, balances richness and lifts all the flavors.
Ingredient Quantities
- 8 oz gluten free soba noodles (100% buckwheat if you can find it)
- 1 block (14 oz) extra firm tofu
- 8 oz mixed wild mushrooms shiitake, oyster, cremini
- 4 baby bok choy (about 12 oz total)
- 6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 3 tbsp white miso paste (shiro miso)
- 2 tbsp tamari or coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp mirin (optional)
- 1 tbsp neutral oil (avocado or vegetable)
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
- 3 garlic cloves
- 3 green onions scallions
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (optional)
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes or a splash chili oil (optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 lime (optional)
How to Make this
1. Press the 14 oz block of extra firm tofu for at least 10 minutes to remove water, then cut into bite sized cubes; if you want extra crisp toss the cubes in 1 tablespoon cornstarch before cooking but you can skip this if you like.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, add the tofu in a single layer and cook until golden on most sides, about 8 minutes, then add 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil and 2 tablespoons tamari or coconut aminos, toss to glaze and turn heat off.
3. While the tofu cooks, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook 8 ounces gluten free soba noodles according to package directions until just tender, drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking and remove excess starch; set aside.
4. Clean and slice the 8 ounces mixed wild mushrooms and chop the 4 baby bok choy separating stems from leaves; thinly slice 3 green onions, grate 1 tablespoon fresh ginger and mince 3 garlic cloves.
5. In a large pot warm 6 cups low sodium vegetable broth over medium heat, add the ginger and garlic and simmer gently 3 minutes, then add the mushroom slices and the bok choy stems and cook until mushrooms are softened about 4 to 5 minutes.
6. Put 3 tablespoons white miso paste in a small bowl, ladle about a cup of hot broth into it and whisk until smooth, then stir the miso mixture back into the pot off heat or with the heat very low so the miso stays flavorful and not boiled.
7. Stir in 2 tablespoons tamari or coconut aminos, 1 tablespoon mirin if using, and 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, taste and adjust salt and black pepper as needed; add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a splash of chili oil if you want heat.
8. Add the bok choy leaves to the pot and let them wilt for a minute, then gently warm the cooked soba noodles in the broth for thirty seconds to a minute just to heat through.
9. Divide noodles and tofu into bowls, ladle the hot mushroom and bok choy miso broth over them, finish with sliced green onions, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds if using, a squeeze of lime if you like, and an extra drizzle of sesame oil or a final crack of black pepper.
Equipment Needed
1. Tofu press or heavy plate with clean kitchen towels (for pressing tofu)
2. Large skillet (nonstick or cast iron)
3. Large pot (for the miso broth)
4. Medium pot (for cooking the soba)
5. Cutting board and sharp chef’s knife
6. Small bowl and whisk or fork (to make the miso slurry)
7. Colander (to drain and rinse the noodles)
8. Measuring cups and spoons, plus a microplane or fine grater (for ginger)
FAQ
Bok Choy & Wild Mushroom Soba Noodle Soup Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten free soba noodles → Rice noodles (brown rice vermicelli) or gluten free spaghetti. Rice noodles cook faster, so watch them and rinse with cold water to stop them sticking.
- Extra firm tofu → Tempeh or chickpea tofu. Tempeh gives a nuttier, chewier bite and holds up when pan-fried, chickpea tofu works if you avoid soy.
- White miso paste → Yellow miso or a tamari + tahini mix. Yellow miso is milder but similar amount works, no miso at all? stir 1 tbsp tamari with 1/2 tsp tahini for some umami.
- Baby bok choy → Napa cabbage or baby spinach. Napa keeps some crunch when sliced thin and cooks about the same, spinach wilts fast so add it right at the end.
Pro Tips
– Press the tofu way longer than the bare minimum, like 20 to 30 minutes if you can, and toss the cubes in cornstarch right before frying so they get extra crust. Don’t crowd the pan or they’ll steam not crisp, and give each side time to brown before flipping.
– Melt miso into a cup of hot broth off the heat so it dissolves smooth, then add it back gently, never let the soup boil after adding miso or you’ll lose that delicate flavor. If lumps bother you, whisk it through a fine mesh or use a small blender cup.
– Treat 100% buckwheat soba like delicate lace, cook it just to tender and rinse really well under cold water to stop cooking and remove starch, toss with a teaspoon of neutral oil if you’re not serving right away so it won’t glue together.
– Saute mushrooms until they’re well browned for real umami, and use the pan fond to flavor the broth by deglazing with a splash of broth or mirin before adding everything to the pot. Save bok choy leaves till the end so they stay bright and not mushy.
– Finish by tasting for balance, miso adds salt but acidity wakes it up; a squeeze of lime or extra rice vinegar will brighten it, and add the toasted sesame oil or seeds at the end for aroma, not while cooking.
Bok Choy & Wild Mushroom Soba Noodle Soup Recipe
I’ve put together Soba Noodles in miso broth with bok choy, mushrooms, tofu, and green onions that’s vegan, gluten-free, and ready in under 30 minutes.
4
servings
472
kcal
Equipment: 1. Tofu press or heavy plate with clean kitchen towels (for pressing tofu)
2. Large skillet (nonstick or cast iron)
3. Large pot (for the miso broth)
4. Medium pot (for cooking the soba)
5. Cutting board and sharp chef’s knife
6. Small bowl and whisk or fork (to make the miso slurry)
7. Colander (to drain and rinse the noodles)
8. Measuring cups and spoons, plus a microplane or fine grater (for ginger)
Ingredients
8 oz gluten free soba noodles (100% buckwheat if you can find it)
1 block (14 oz) extra firm tofu
8 oz mixed wild mushrooms shiitake, oyster, cremini
4 baby bok choy (about 12 oz total)
6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
3 tbsp white miso paste (shiro miso)
2 tbsp tamari or coconut aminos
1 tbsp mirin (optional)
1 tbsp neutral oil (avocado or vegetable)
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
3 garlic cloves
3 green onions scallions
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp cornstarch (optional)
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
1 tsp red pepper flakes or a splash chili oil (optional)
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 lime (optional)
Directions
- Press the 14 oz block of extra firm tofu for at least 10 minutes to remove water, then cut into bite sized cubes; if you want extra crisp toss the cubes in 1 tablespoon cornstarch before cooking but you can skip this if you like.
- Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, add the tofu in a single layer and cook until golden on most sides, about 8 minutes, then add 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil and 2 tablespoons tamari or coconut aminos, toss to glaze and turn heat off.
- While the tofu cooks, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook 8 ounces gluten free soba noodles according to package directions until just tender, drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking and remove excess starch; set aside.
- Clean and slice the 8 ounces mixed wild mushrooms and chop the 4 baby bok choy separating stems from leaves; thinly slice 3 green onions, grate 1 tablespoon fresh ginger and mince 3 garlic cloves.
- In a large pot warm 6 cups low sodium vegetable broth over medium heat, add the ginger and garlic and simmer gently 3 minutes, then add the mushroom slices and the bok choy stems and cook until mushrooms are softened about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Put 3 tablespoons white miso paste in a small bowl, ladle about a cup of hot broth into it and whisk until smooth, then stir the miso mixture back into the pot off heat or with the heat very low so the miso stays flavorful and not boiled.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons tamari or coconut aminos, 1 tablespoon mirin if using, and 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, taste and adjust salt and black pepper as needed; add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a splash of chili oil if you want heat.
- Add the bok choy leaves to the pot and let them wilt for a minute, then gently warm the cooked soba noodles in the broth for thirty seconds to a minute just to heat through.
- Divide noodles and tofu into bowls, ladle the hot mushroom and bok choy miso broth over them, finish with sliced green onions, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds if using, a squeeze of lime if you like, and an extra drizzle of sesame oil or a final crack of black pepper.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 701g
- Total number of serves: 4
- Calories: 472kcal
- Fat: 16.5g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Polyunsaturated: 4.5g
- Monounsaturated: 8.5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 730mg
- Potassium: 710mg
- Carbohydrates: 56g
- Fiber: 7.5g
- Sugar: 6g
- Protein: 18.5g
- Vitamin A: 700IU
- Vitamin C: 15mg
- Calcium: 200mg
- Iron: 2mg
