Yuba (fresh tofu skin) takes on a lovely soft, silky texture when simmered in a simple soup! You can bulk up this Fresh Yuba Soup with noodles to make it a full meal. Or add some vegetables and mushrooms to take it even further.
What is Yuba?
Yuba is the tofu skin you get from boiling soy milk. It’s popular in East Asian cuisine and comes in dried, fresh, and fried varieties, and many different shapes.
I love tofu skin. It is plant-based, high-protein, and so incredibly versatile. It can take on many different flavours and textures, depending on how you cook it.
Dried tofu skin is perfect for Vegan Hot Pot and Buddha’s Delight.
Fried yuba is used in recipes like Yubuchobap and Kitsune Udon.
I have another recipe that uses fresh tofu skin: Tofu Skin Stir Fry. You can read more about the different types of yuba and learn how it’s made in that post as well.
But if you don’t want to break out the wok, and are craving a simpler, lighter, more subtly-flavoured dish, then go for this soup instead.
What You’ll Need
A few important notes on some of the ingredients used in this Yuba Soup recipe:
Fresh Tofu Skin (aka Yuba): This soup tastes best with fresh yuba, which take just a few minutes to cook through. But you can use dried beancurd sticks in a pinch. If using dried beancurd sticks, soak for at least 6 hours before using (but preferably up to 12 hours).
Shiitake Mushrooms: Either fresh or dried mushrooms work. If using dried mushrooms, you will need to simmer them to rehydrate before adding the other ingredients.
Soy Sauce & Miso Paste: These provide the salt and umami seasoning. I recommend using white miso paste (milder flavour) and guk-ganjang soy sauce, which is a special type of Korean soy sauce that’s perfect for seasoning soups. I also use it in my Kongbiji Jjigae recipe. Find guk-ganjang at Korean grocery stores or online, or just substitute with regular soy sauce.
Noodles: Optional, but if you want to make this a filling meal, turn it into a noodle soup! Pick thin noodles so they cook quickly.
For a full list of ingredients and quantities, refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Flavour Variations
- Noodle Soup: It’s easy to turn this into a noodle soup by just adding a brick of instant ramen, or soba, or thin Chinese wheat noodles. Any noodle that cooks in a few minutes will work.
- Add Veggies: Beansprouts, spinach, Chinese lettuce, bok choy… these are just some of the vegetables that I’ve added to tofu skin soup. And it’s always turned out great! It’s a great soup to throw your leftover veggies into.
- More Fungus: Add an assortment of mushrooms (oyster, shiitake, shimeji, wood ear fungus all work great) for even more umami flavour and fun textures.
Step-by-Step Process
Step 1: Slice fresh yuba (aka tofu skin) into 1 inch thick strips.
Step 2: Add mushrooms and water to a soup pot. I’m also adding some kombu granules.
Step 3: Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Add bean curd and simmer, uncovered, until bean curd is very tender.
Step 4: Add noodles (if using) and cook for the recommended time on the package. Sprinkle with scallions and serve.
Meal Prep & Storage Tips
Fridge: Store yuba soup in the fridge for up to three days. It reheats easily in the microwave or on the stove.
Freezer: Tofu skin soup freezes well for up to three months. But note the yuba will become very soft and easily fall apart when defrosted.
What to Serve with Yuba Soup
Recipe FAQs
Yuba is made from skimming the solidifed skin off from boiling soy milk then drying it to become a thin, flexible, and chewy food. It’s also known as tofu skin or bean curd skin. (Yuba is the Japanese and Korean name.)
Yuba and tofu are both made with the same thing: soy milk. So they taste very similar as well. Yuba is very mild on its own with a light soybean taste, but it soaks up flavours really well so it will take on the taste of whatever sauce or soup you cook it in. It’s also got a chewier texture than tofu.
Both yuba and tofu are made with soy milk. But tofu requires a coagulant like nigari, glucono delta lactone, or calcium sulfate. Yuba does not require any additional coagulants. You know how simmering milk without stirring will create a milky skin on the surface of the milk? Yeah, yuba is that thin skin. It’s carefully lifted off the soy milk, then dried to make it stronger, and it can then be folded, marinated, sliced, and cooked in many different ways.
More Asian Soup Recipes
Recipe Card
Did you make this recipe? Please consider leaving a rating below to let me know how you liked it. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @earthtoveg, I will shout you out in my Stories!
Fresh Yuba Soup
Ingredients
Switch between volume vs weight measurements:
- ½ lb fresh yuba or bean curd stick
- 2 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 2 tbsp soy sauce preferably guk-ganjang (Korean soup soy sauce), which is specially made for flavouring soups
- ½ tbsp miso paste *optional; can also just use more soy sauce
- 1 bundle ramen noodles or Chinese noodles *optional
- 2 to 3 cups water or kombu stock
- 1 diced scallion
Instructions
- Slice 1/2 lb fresh yuba or bean curd stick into 1 inch thick strips.
- Add 2 dried shiitake mushrooms and 2 to 3 cups water or kombu stock to a small soup pot and set it on medium heat.
- Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp miso paste, and yuba. Simmer, uncovered, for another 5 to 10 minutes or until bean curd is very tender.
- Optional: add 1 bundle ramen noodles or Chinese noodles and cook for the recommended time on the package (usually just a few minutes).
- Sprinkle with 1 diced scallion and serve.