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This comforting garlic ginger soup with tofu and noodles is warming, nourishing, and just right for cold and flu season. It comes together in one pot in about 35 minutes with simple, budget-friendly ingredients.
![Completed Garlic Ginger Soup [With Noodles] in a bowl.](https://plantbasedonabudget.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Garlic-Ginger-Soup-14.jpg)
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Tofu Noodle Soup
- Health Benefits of Garlic and Ginger: What Research Says
- Ingredient Notes
- Recipe Variations and Add-Ins
- How to Make Garlic Ginger Soup with Noodles
- Garlic Ginger Soup FAQs
- Toni’s Recipe Tips
- Storage Instructions
- More Soups That You’ll Love
- Garlic Ginger Soup With Noodles Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Tofu Noodle Soup
As the weather cools down and the sniffles creep in, it’s the perfect time for this warming garlic ginger soup. Inspired by a classic, variations of this soup have been passed down for generations as a soothing bowl to sip when you have a cold.
With a warm, aromatic, naturally vegan broth full of the bold flavors of garlic and ginger, this quick, light soup is made heartier with rice noodles and tofu. It’s like a pho noodle soup! It’s also super customizable and sure to become a comforting go-to during cold season.
Looking for more vegan noodle soup recipes? You might enjoy my 10-minute vegan ramen soup, curried carrot noodle soup, or vegan chicken noodle soup!
Health Benefits of Garlic and Ginger: What Research Says
I can’t promise any soup will cure a cold, but ginger garlic soup has a long reputation as a healing soup to make when you feel under the weather. Here’s what research says so far about its two star ingredients, and why I love them in this broth.
Garlic: Garlic has been used in traditional remedies for centuries, and it’s often promoted for supporting the immune system during cold and flu season. The research is still limited, though. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health notes that only a couple of small studies suggest garlic might help with colds, and a Cochrane review of garlic for the common cold found there isn’t enough evidence yet to say it prevents or treats them. I still add a generous eight cloves here for flavor!
Top Tip: Chopping or crushing garlic starts a natural reaction that forms allicin, the compound behind its strong flavor and smell. Letting chopped garlic sit for about 10 minutes before it goes into the hot pan gives that reaction time to happen, and one lab study on crushed garlic found the wait helped protect its beneficial compounds from heat.
Ginger: Ginger has long been used for upset stomachs and nausea, and the NCCIH says ginger may help with nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, while research on other uses is mixed. It also contains gingerol, a compound researchers study for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. A lab study on fresh ginger found it had antiviral activity against a common respiratory virus in human cells. That hasn’t been shown in people yet, but I love the warm, peppery kick ginger gives this broth.
I use sriracha as the hot sauce in this garlic ginger tofu noodle soup for a spicy kick, which is nice on a stuffy day. Use less if you’d like a milder broth. If you have extra fresh ginger after making it, use it up in my lemon ginger shot recipe.
Ingredient Notes
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and substitutions.
![Ingredients for Garlic Ginger Soup [With Noodles] measured out on a white surface.](https://plantbasedonabudget.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Garlic-Ginger-Soup-Ingredients.png)
Recipe Variations and Add-Ins
- Vegetables: Boost the flavor and nutrients of garlic ginger tofu noodle soup with onion, mushroom, bok choy, celery, spinach, kale, leek, broccoli, bean sprouts, shredded carrot, peas, sweet potato, zucchini, etc.
- Low carb: Sub noodles with zucchini, carrot, or squash noodles. Adjust cooking time.
- Other carbs: Such as quinoa, rice, or farro. Adjust the cooking time accordingly or stir pre-cooked grains into the soup in the last few minutes.
- Lemongrass: Just a little of this citrusy herb complements ginger well.
- Coconut milk: Make the soup creamy and richer with a splash at the end. Cashew cream would also work. Add to taste.
- More spice: With minced chili and/or cayenne pepper.
- Cumin: For a savory, earthy flavor.
- Cinnamon: 1 or 2 small sticks or a pinch of ground cinnamon for a warm, aromatic broth.
- Whole spices: Boost aromatics with star anise (2-3), cloves (2-3), cardamom, and/or coriander seeds. For more flavor, toast them until fragrant first.
- Garnish: i.e., Sesame seeds (raw or toasted), drizzle of chili oil/garlic oil, etc.
How to Make Garlic Ginger Soup with Noodles
Keep scrolling to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and recipe instructions.
Step 1: First, heat a swirl of oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Then, add the onion, carrots, celery, ginger, and garlic and cook for 10 minutes.
Step 2: Next, add the water and bouillon cubes (or broth) lemon juice, tofu, and hot sauce.
Step 3: Finally, add the noodles and cook for the amount of time suggested on the package. Taste and adjust any seasonings, then serve and enjoy!
Garlic Ginger Soup FAQs
This is a naturally thin, brothy soup. If you’d prefer a thicker version, add a thickening ingredient to blend into the broth, such as potato, white beans, chickpeas, lentils, etc.
Garlic and ginger are both popular in traditional cold-season remedies, and ginger has a long history of use for nausea. Research on them is still limited, so I think of this as a warm, nourishing soup rather than a cure. It’s light, easy to eat when you’re run down, and the lemon juice adds a little vitamin C.
Of course! In fact, roasting garlic makes it sweeter and more mellow for a richer soup.
Yes! The heat comes from the hot sauce, so start with less and add more to taste, or leave it out. The fresh ginger still gives the broth a gentle warmth.
Yes. Add everything except the oil and noodles to your Instant Pot or pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Release the pressure, then add the noodles and cook them according to the package directions.
Toni’s Recipe Tips
- For an oil-free version: Use ¼ cup veg broth.
- For extra flavor: Lightly broil the ginger & garlic until lightly charred before adding them to the soup. This adds depth to the broth.
- No need to peel the ginger: Just scrub it well before grating. If you prefer to peel it, a spoon scrapes the skin away quickly.
- Leave to rest: Ginger garlic noodle soup tastes even better on day two.
![Completed Garlic Ginger Soup [With Noodles] in a pot.](https://plantbasedonabudget.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Garlic-Ginger-Soup-10.jpg)
Storage Instructions
Store: Leave the garlic ginger soup to cool, then store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Note that noodles will continue to soak up broth over time, so you may prefer to store the noodles separately.
Freeze: This soup freezes best without the noodles. Freeze it in a freezer-safe container or Ziplock/Stasher bag/s for up to 3 months. Then, thaw it in the fridge overnight.
Reheat: Either on the stove over low or in 30-second increments in a microwave, stirring between.
![Completed Garlic Ginger Soup [With Noodles] in a storage container.](https://plantbasedonabudget.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Garlic-Ginger-Soup-16.jpg)
More Soups That You’ll Love
Vegan Dinners
Vegan Jackfruit Chicken Noodle Soup
Vegan Dinners
Coconut Chickpea Curry Soup
Vegan Dinners
Kale Vegetable Bean Soup
Vegan Lunches
Thai Butternut Squash Soup
If you tried this garlic ginger soup with noodles recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks!
If you’re loving my recipes and would like a more comprehensive resource, check out my cookbooks!
Garlic Ginger Soup With Noodles
![Completed Garlic Ginger Soup [With Noodles] in a bowl.](https://plantbasedonabudget.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Garlic-Ginger-Soup-15-300x300.jpg)
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Ingredients
- ½ Tablespoon (7.5 ml) canola or vegetable oil or 3 Tablespoons water for oil-free
- ½ cup (80 g) diced red, white, or yellow onion about ½ medium onion
- 2 carrots thinly sliced
- 2 ribs celery thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup (32 g) grated or finely chopped ginger no need to peel; just scrub it well
- 8 cloves garlic peeled and halved
- 5 cups (1.2 L) water and 2 ½ vegetable bouillon cubes or 5 cups vegetable broth
- 4 to 5 Tablespoons (60 to 75 ml) lemon juice depending on how tangy you like it
- 1 (14-ounce / 397 g) block extra-firm tofu pressed and cut into ½-inch cubes
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) hot sauce I use sriracha; use less for a milder soup
- 1 (8-ounce / 227 g) package rice noodles
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil (or water).
- Add the onion, carrots, celery, ginger, and garlic and cook for 10 minutes, or until the onion is tender and translucent.
- Add the water and bouillon cubes (or broth), lemon juice, tofu, and hot sauce.
- Add the noodles and cook for the amount of time suggested on the package.
- Taste, adjust the seasonings, and serve.
Notes
- For an oil-free version, cook the vegetables in ¼ cup vegetable broth.
- For extra flavor, lightly broil the ginger and garlic until lightly charred before adding them to the soup.
- No need to peel the ginger. If you prefer to peel it, a spoon scrapes the skin away quickly.
- For a milder soup, start with less hot sauce and add more to taste.
- Pressure cooker: add everything except the oil and noodles and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Release the pressure, then add the noodles and cook according to the package.
- The noodles keep soaking up broth as the soup sits, so store leftover noodles separately if you can.
- This soup tastes even better on day two.
- Makes about 11 to 12 cups, or 6 bowls of about 2 cups each.
I absolutely love this soup! I didn’t use hot sauce because I have a low tolerance for spice and the ginger itself tends to be piquanté, so that was plenty for me. Oh my it was tasty 😋.
But~as a retired health nurse, I caution you about using terms like “immunity boosting”. Your immune system does not need to be boosted. As a matter of fact a “boosted” immune system creates diseases~like arthritis, multiple sclerosis, ALS plus many more. A boosted immune system means the system created to help prevent disease starts attacking various organs. I’m not criticizing, a lot of people believe this, I’m just trying to add clarity to the mistaken thought that your system needs boosting. It’s the same thing with removing toxins~our bodies are perfect at what they do~including ridding any toxins created by us, or our environment. The kidneys and liver don’t need help. Through our urine and feces, perspiration and even breathing, our bodies rid us of toxins w/out any help from
“de-toxing”. Unless, of course, disease prevents them from doing their functions. Some “de-toxes are nothing more than laxitives or emetics. And that can be dangerous because, dehydration sets in long before you feel thirsty. Thanks for reading. Can’t wait for more recipes!
So glad you enjoyed this soup and thanks so much for your input! 🙂 Hope you continue to enjoy the recipes you try out!
Hi! Love this recipe. I was wondering, if I wanted to add sweet potato and kale, when would I add them? Thanks so much!
Hi Nicia! I’m so happy you love it. Add diced sweet potato with the broth so it has time to get tender, and stir in the kale during the last few minutes of cooking so it just wilts. Enjoy!
I’m not a fan of hot sauce. Can I leave it out of the recipe? I’m still learning plant based cooking.
Hi! You sure can 🙂 You can always sub in or sub out things you’re not a fan of 🙂 Hope you enjoy this soup!
A little heavy on the ginger… cut that back a bit!
Always feel free to adjust to your liking 🙂 Hope you enjoyed it overall!
This was wonderful. We really enjoyed it. However, 1/3 cup og Sriracha was a lot. Next time I’ll use about three tablespoons.
You say if you use water rather than oil your tofu won’t be crispy. I can’t find anywhere that is says to sauté or fry tofu. It goes into broth as is so shouldn’t be crispy either way. Am I missing something? Tx.
Hi! Thanks for noting that. You are not missing anything 🙂 The text should have read differently. Hope you enjoy the recipe if you gave it a try 🙂