Make easy vegan hot and sour soup with tofu and vegetables in just a few steps, and feast on a rejuvenating, low-calorie veggie soup with no added oil.
Making hot and sour soup in the Instant Pot is super-quick, but not to worry; stovetop instructions are included because no one should miss out on this delicious soup.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Recipe
✔ A healthy soup made with no added oil
✔ Simple ingredients. Everything you need is at the grocery store.
✔ Inexpensive. Make this recipe with
✔ Customizable in terms of veggies, even frozen) and sources of protein. You can easily substitute the tofu for adzuki or soybeans.
✔ Perfect for a post-workout boost of protein, veggies, and rehydrating broth.
Ingredients, Notes, and Substitutions
Soy sauce. Dark soy sauce gives the soup a deeper flavor – and more sodium than regular soy sauce. Choose light soy sauce or coconut aminos if you watch your salt intake. Use tamari sauce as a gluten-free option.
Rice vinegar. This is the sour taste. White vinegar, specifically white wine vinegar, is a good substitute. This recipe can also use red wine vinegar because the broth is quite dark.
Tofu. Firm or extra-firm tofu is your best option for this recipe. Unlike other tofu recipes, like crispy tofu, you want to press the tofu for sweet and sour soup. Use a tofu press or wrap the tofu block in a paper towel and press it between two plates with the top weighed down.
Mushrooms. Any mushrooms or mix will work. I used chestnut mushrooms (brown button mushrooms).
Cornstarch. This thickens the soup. Always make a slurry by mixing it with cold water before adding it to soups. stews, or gravy. Use arrowroot or tapioca starch as alternatives.
Vegetable broth. Use flavorful vegetable stock or vegan chicken broth. It is the foundation of the Asian broth you make as the first step.
Chili sauce. Sriracha or Sambal Oelek are good choices, but any chili garlic sauce will do. Avoid a Mexican-style hot sauce with extra ingredients or flavors like chipotle.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions.
Recipe Variations
I chose carrots, bamboo shoots, green onions (spring onions), and mung bean sprouts for veggies. Additional good options include celery, baby corn, green beans, water chestnuts, diced snow peas, bok choy, or shredded napa cabbage.
You can bulk out the soup with ramen noodles or rice noodles.
This vegan version doesn't use beaten eggs. Add ½ a teaspoon of black salt (kala namak) if you want a little egg flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Press the tofu for 15-20 minutes and cut it into cubes.
Step 2: Pressure-cook vegetable broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili sauce, ginger, and black pepper for 2 minutes.
Step 3: Add the vegetables and tofu. Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes.
Step 4: Mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Add it to the soup and cook on Sauté for 1 minute.
Pro Tips
Be Instant Pot cautious when opening the steam handle for a quick release. Unlike natural release, there will be a lot of hot steam that can burn your hand. Use a wooden spoon to release the handle.
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The tofu will be soft, so dice it into small cubes if this puts you off. Or make a batch of crispy air fryer or oven-baked tofu.
If the soup is too thin, sauté it for another minute or add another tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of water and sauté for another minute.
Cornstarch or other thickeners get lumpy when added to soups or gravies. For this reason, always mix it with water.
Stovetop Instructions
- Add broth ingredients to a large pot on medium-high heat. After the broth begins to boil, reduce the heat to a slow simmer,
- Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the vegetables and tofu, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook for another 5 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
Serve hot and sour soup with vegan lettuce wraps or as an appetizer before a quick cauliflower stir fry, veggie rice noodle salad, or hearty Asian chopped salad. It also makes a great light lunch or a nutritious snack.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days. Allow the soup to cool to room temperature before freezing it for up to 3 months.
As an entirely plant-based soup prepared without oil, this hot and sour soup recipe provides substantial nutritional value with minimal calories, low fat, and no saturated fat.
Adzuki beans (azuki/aduki) are firm, dark brown beans often used in Asian cooking. They can be substituted for tofu in this hot and sour soup recipe. Add a can of rinsed adzuki beans to the Instant Pot and vegetables.
Yes – branding. Rice vinegar is made by fermenting rice into sugar that turns into alcohol and continuing the fermentation process to create acid (vinegar). Whether labeled with 'wine' or not, both products are identical.
Dried or fresh shiitake mushrooms or dried wood ears are common to hot and sour soup, but you can use a variety such as black fungus mushrooms or a mix of wild mushrooms.
More Instant Pot Soups
Do you have a question or recipe request or need a cooking tip? Leave a comment below or contact Denise. I’m here to help! If you want more healthy vegan recipes, please subscribe to my newsletter or follow me on Facebook or Pinterest for the latest updates.
If you make this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating. It’s much appreciated!
👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Easy Vegan Hot and Sour Soup
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Ingredients
- 6 cups vegetable broth - or vegan chicken broth
- ½ cup soy sauce - or Tamari
- ½ cup rice vinegar
- 2 - 3 teaspoons chili sauce - Sriracha, Sambal Oelek, or another you prefer
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger - minced
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper - or white pepper
- 10 ounces firm tofu - or extra firm
- 1 pound button mushrooms - about 16. See notes for alternatives
- 7 medium green onions - white and green parts
- 1 medium carrot - peeled and cut into sticks
- 8 ounces bamboo shoots - 1 small can, cut into sticks
- 8 ounces bean sprouts - rinsed and chopped in half
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch - see notes for substitutes.
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Press the tofu using a tofu press or wrap it in a paper towel and place it between two plates with the top weighed down. Press for 10-20 minutes.
- Prep all the ingredients and then cut the tofu into small cubes.
How to make it in the Instant Pot
- Add the vegetable broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili sauce, ginger, and black pepper to the Instant Pot. Cook on High Pressure for 2 minutes.
- When the Instant Pot is done, carefully release the steam valve, then remove the lid.
- Add the vegetables and tofu. Place the lid back on the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes.
- Mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl to form a smooth slurry.
- When the Instant Pot is done cooking, again, carefully release the steam valve and remove the lid. Pour in the cornstarch slurry and stir it in the soup.
- Replace the Instant Pot lid and cook on the Sauté setting for 1 minute.
- Open the steam handle, remove the lid and stir the soup. Taste the soup and adjust the flavorings if desired.
- How to make soup on the stove
- Add the vegetable broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili sauce, ginger, and black pepper to a large soup pot on medium-high heat.
- When the broth starts to boil, lower the heat to simmer. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the vegetables and tofu, cover the soup, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Mix in the slurry and cook for another 5 minutes.
Notes
- Cooking time is for the Instant Pot. Allow 10-15 minutes for the initial heating process.
- Substitutes for cornstarch include arrowroot or tapioca starch.
- To thicken the soup, sauté it for another minute. If you add more cornstarch, make a slurry with water before adding it.
- I used chestnut mushrooms for this recipe, but any will work, including white button mushrooms, shiitake or wood ear mushrooms, black fungus, or a mix of wild mushrooms.
- Cut the tofu into small cubes. It will be soft after cooking. If you like firmer tofu, make a batch of crispy tofu cubes. Add it after adding the cornstarch.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
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Karen
Made this for dinner tonight. I was missing the tofu and bamboo shoots so I added extra veggies (corn, green beans and kale). My husband grew up in a Chinese restaurant and said my soup tastes exactly like his dad’s hot and sour soup. Everyone noticed the missing ingredients (note to self— buy tofu and bamboo shoots) but really enjoyed it. My college age kid is thrilled that this is something she can make herself at school. Overall, a major win!
Denise
I'm thrilled you enjoyed this! I keep saying that I'll make a batch and freeze it - that never happens, there's never leftovers :). Thanks for the review. It is more certainly appreciated.
Cherylann
Absolutely LOVE this soup! Its delicious and easy to make. I added some black fungus from a local market to add a little more texture but otherwise followed the recipe.
Denise
Yahoo! So happy to hear you liked it. I've been known to have this for breakfast - it's so yummy 🙂
Steph Sprouse
I'm so excited, I've been wanting to make this amazing soup for so long and I tried it tonight, ❤️🙌🎊 absolutely amazing just like my favorite restaurant!! Wow! Delishioso and sooooooooo happy. Thank you, I did the Instapot version and used 3 types of mushrooms, lots of onions, bamboo shoots, carrots and snow peas. I also did double the chili garlic sauce amazing!!!! 😋
Denise Perrault
You have officially made my day! I am thrilled that you found and loved this recipe. I find it so yummy and renewing (body and soul). It's one of my favorite Instant Pot recipes and I hope it will be one of yours too. 🙂
Charlene
I made this tonight. Delicious and versatile! I didn’t have chili garlic sauce so I added a little bit of gochugaru instead. Thank you for sharing!
Denise Perrault
I'm thrilled you liked it - it's a favorite. 🙂
Rachel
I made this tonight. Very quick and tasty. Definitely a keeper.
Denise Perrault
Thanks for commenting - so happy to hear you liked it!