Korean Tomato Soup with Tofu and Pasta Recipe
A lightly spicy tomato soup with tofu cubes, pasta, and a hint of soy sauce. In Korea, dishes inspired by Western cuisine are becoming more common, and this soup is reminiscent of a cross between Italian tomato soup and Korean tofu stew. It’s warming, filling, and full of umami.
This soup combines the familiar comfort of tomato soup with Korean flavors like gochugaru and soy sauce, creating a simple but distinctive fusion dish that’s both cozy and full of umami.
Chef's tips
Don’t brown the garlic—if it gets too dark, it will turn bitter and dominate the delicate tomato and soy flavors. Adjust the amount of gochugaru to your heat tolerance and the brand you use, as some are hotter than others.
How to serve
Serve in deep bowls with plenty of broth, topped generously with spring onion. You can finish each portion with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil or a few toasted sesame seeds for extra aroma.
Ingredients
- canned tomatoes chopped or whole, peeled - 400 g
- vegetable or chicken stock - 800 ml
- tofu firm, cut into cubes - 250 g
- small pasta e.g. fusilli, shells - 120 g
- onion diced - 1 piece
- garlic finely chopped - 3 cloves
- gochugaru Korean chili flakes - 1 teaspoon
- soy sauce - 2 tablespoons
- vegetable oil for frying - 2 tablespoons
- sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes - 0.5 teaspoons
- spring onion sliced, for serving - 2 piece
- salt to taste, if needed - 0.25 teaspoons
Preparation
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until it softens and becomes slightly translucent.
- Add the garlic and gochugaru and cook for about 30 seconds more, until the spices become very fragrant.
- Pour in the canned tomatoes and stock, then add the soy sauce and sugar. Stir and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes to let the flavors meld.
- Add the pasta and cook according to the time on the package (usually 7–10 minutes), until al dente.
- For the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the tofu cubes, gently stir so they don’t break apart, and heat until the tofu is hot in the center.
- Taste the soup and season with salt or a little more soy sauce if needed.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle with spring onion, and serve hot.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
This recipe is inspired by quick Korean home-style tofu stews and the classic tomato soups many of us grew up with. It’s an easy way to bring a bit of Korean flavor into an everyday meal without needing many specialty ingredients.
