sesame ginger soup

Warm up with this flavor-packed soup, with just enough inclusions to fill you up. 

Sesame Ginger Soup Recipe

This is the best soup I’ve ever made. It’s packed with flavor, veggies, and protein, so it’s the perfect soup to enjoy as a full meal. I can’t eat soy sauce anymore, so I got tamari and coconut amino acids to try as an alternative. I found tamari (what my gluten-free best friend recommended) to be saltier than soy sauce, but it seemed closer to the flavor profile I was looking for (the amino acids were a bit sweeter). This recipe uses tamari for the salty umami, but feel free to swap it with soy sauce if you prefer. And whoever said you couldn’t use salad as a soup topping? This topping adds an extra burst of sesame, plus a refreshing crunch that will make you feel great. 

Ingredients for Sesame Ginger Soup

  • 2 leeks, roots and leafy green parts cut off

  • 1 head garlic, peeled (about 8-10 cloves), roughly chopped

  • 1 1/2 cups various mushrooms, cleaned—I used 1 - 4 oz package baby shiitake mushrooms and 1 - 8 oz. variety pack that included royal trumpets, shiitakes, and blue oysters

  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided

  • 1 ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, divided

  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1 - 3 inch knob of ginger, grated (about 1 tablespoon)

  • 8 cups vegetable broth

  • 1 bunch bok choy, thinly sliced, divided

  • 1 block extra firm tofu

  • 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons tamari, or 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce, divided

  • 4-5 scallions, trimmed and chopped

  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil

  • Juice of 1 lemon cheek (about 1 teaspoon)

How to Make Sesame Ginger Soup

  1. Cut the leeks in half lengthwise, then thinly slice. (Make sure to clean well so you don’t end up with sand in your soup.)
  2. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and add the leeks. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until they start to soften. Add the garlic to the pot and stir.
  3. Roughly chop the mushrooms and add them to the pot.
  4. Season with ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and black pepper.
  5. Add the ginger, then pour in the broth.
  6. Cover the pot and bring to a boil.
  7. After about 10 minutes, add half the sliced bok choy to the pot. Place the other half in a small bowl.
  8. Squeeze the tofu in a tea towel to get as much liquid out as possible.
  9. Cut into 1/2" cubes and squeeze again in a dry tea towel.
  10. Add the tofu to the pot and season with 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon tamari.
  11. Let cook, uncovered, while you prepare the topping.
  12. Add the scallions to the bowl with the bok choy and stir to combine. Add the sesame seeds, sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon tamari, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, and the juice of one lemon cheek. 
  13. Top the soup with the bok choy mixture just before serving.

What You’ll Need

Looking for more kitchen finds? Visit my Amazon storefront here.

We selected these products because we love them, and hope you do too. Baked by Melissa has an affiliate relationship, so we may get a commission if you purchase something through our links. Items are sold by the retailer, not Baked by Melissa.