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    Home » Recipes » Recipes

    November 22, 2017 25 Comments

    Smoky Tofu & Bean Soup

    2.0K shares
    Jump to Recipe

    I love asking you (yes you) for recipe request. Recently I did just that on my Facebook page. If there is a dish you have been craving, I love taking on the challenge of recreating it in my kitchen. Veganizing the world one recipe at a time!

    I steal ideas from you all the time such as my recent recipes for Easy Vegan Marshmallow Fluff, Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole, and Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup - all your ideas! Muhahahaha, evil idea stealer.

    Smoky Tofu & Bean Soup! A vegan version of ham and bean soup with sweet, smoky, salty, and chewy tofu bites topping the soup. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    Today's recipe was inspired by a request for ham and bean soup. I researched this soup and I already knew I was going to make it seven times quicker to make, the first recipe I came across called for 6 ½ hours to make the soup!!!! I'm sure most of this time was just simmering time, but still, Sam and her fuss-free ways has no interest in that kind of timeline. My version requires some baking time, but I've narrowed the recipe down to a much more reasonable 50 minutes, thankyouverymuch.

    Smoky Tofu & Bean Soup! A vegan version of ham and bean soup with sweet, smoky, salty, and chewy tofu bites topping the soup. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    To veganize this recipe, the bean soup base was the easy part as that was basically vegan anyways. I just used my cheater, ehem, genius ways to make it much quicker to make.

    For the ham part of the soup, I wanted to get that salty, smoky, sweet, and chewiness going on to give a similar vibe. After drumming my fingers for awhile (a habit which annoys Chickpea dog), I figured out that if I marinated the tofu pieces in soy sauce, maple syrup, and liquid smoke and then baked them, I achieved all of that in one delicious chewy tofu bite. Oh yeah, Smoky Tofu & Bean Soup here I come.

    Smoky Tofu & Bean Soup! A vegan version of ham and bean soup with sweet, smoky, salty, and chewy tofu bites topping the soup. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    To make Smoky Tofu & Bean Soup: in a large bowl, mix together the soy sauce, maple syrup, and liquid smoke. Add the tofu pieces and toss so that all of the tofu is covered in sauce. Spread the tofu pieces in a single layer on the baking sheet with any remaining sauce.

    No need to press the tofu first as it dries out in the oven anyways.

    Smoky Tofu & Bean Soup! A vegan version of ham and bean soup with sweet, smoky, salty, and chewy tofu bites topping the soup. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, stopping to flip every now and then until the tofu is golden brown and a bit chewy. Some of the sauce from the tofu may burn on the pan, just scrape it off with a spatula and continue baking as needed. Mmmmmm chewy smoky tofu bites.

    Smoky Tofu & Bean Soup! A vegan version of ham and bean soup with sweet, smoky, salty, and chewy tofu bites topping the soup. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic and sauté until the veggies start to get tender, about 5 minutes.

    Smoky Tofu & Bean Soup! A vegan version of ham and bean soup with sweet, smoky, salty, and chewy tofu bites topping the soup. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    Add in all of the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. To serve, ladle the hot soup into bowls and top with several pieces of smoky tofu each.

    To save for later, store the smoky tofu bites and soup separately. This ensures that the tofu stays chewy.

    Smoky Tofu & Bean Soup! A vegan version of ham and bean soup with sweet, smoky, salty, and chewy tofu bites topping the soup. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    Print Recipe
    4.84 from 12 votes

    Smoky Tofu & Bean Soup

    A vegan version of ham and bean soup with sweet, smoky, salty, and chewy tofu bites topping the soup. 
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time40 mins
    Total Time50 mins
    Course : Soup
    Cuisine : AmericanBritish
    Servings: 8 (makes about 2 litres)
    Author: Sam Turnbull • It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

    Ingredients

    For the smoky tofu:

    • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
    • ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
    • 1 block (350g) extra-firm tofu, drained and sliced into small bits

    For the bean soup:

    • 1 tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
    • 2 ribs of celery, chopped
    • 1 yellow onion, chopped
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 6 cups vegetable broth (1 ½ litres)
    • 2 19oz cans navy beans (4 cups), drained and rinsed
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
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    Instructions

    • For the tofu: preheat your oven to 325F (170C).  Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
    • In a large bowl, mix together the soy sauce, maple syrup, and liquid smoke. Add the tofu pieces and toss so that all of the tofu is covered in sauce. Spread the tofu pieces in a single layer on the baking sheet with any remaining sauce. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, stopping to flip every now and then until the tofu is golden brown and a bit chewy. Some of the sauce from the tofu may burn on the pan, just scrape it off with a spatula and continue baking as needed.
    • For the soup: in the meantime, heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic and sauté until the veggies start to get tender, about 5 minutes. Add in all of the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. To serve, ladle the hot soup into bowls and top with several pieces of smoky tofu each.

    Notes

    To save for later, store the smoky tofu bites and soup separately. This ensures that the tofu stays chewy. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 212kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 1069mg | Potassium: 581mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2970IU | Vitamin C: 3.4mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 3.1mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?Tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram and Hashtag #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    Bon appetegan!

    Sam.



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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Christiane says

      March 14, 2023 at 2:25 pm

      5 stars
      So so good! Exactly what I needed with the stormy weather we are having today. Makes the kitchen smell so good too! Thank you.

      Reply
    2. B Carnrike says

      January 26, 2020 at 6:07 pm

      Excellent soup. As a first time Tofu user it was a perfect start. Followed the recipe added parsley and liquid smoke to the soup

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        January 28, 2020 at 7:15 pm

        Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed!

        Reply
    3. Janet Schmitt says

      January 21, 2020 at 6:24 am

      5 stars
      I loved the smoky tofu bites! New to the vegan world and ham and beans is one of my favorite meals in the winter. I really like liquid smoke and doubled the ingredients to make it extra flavorful and cooked it longer at a higher temperature and it was perfect! I also like the idea of marinating it for 24 hours and I think this would make an excellent bacon so will definitely be trying that. Thank you so much!!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        January 22, 2020 at 6:03 pm

        Glad you enjoyed!

        Reply
    4. Nigel says

      October 17, 2019 at 11:29 am

      4 stars
      Didn't quite do it for us. A marriage not made in heaven. Great bean veg stew. Nice bits of tofu.

      A texture thing I think so maybe ok for others.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        October 23, 2019 at 6:02 pm

        Sorry you didn't enjoy more, Nigel!

        Reply
    5. Michelle says

      April 29, 2019 at 5:31 pm

      5 stars
      This is so delicious!! I am on my second helping. Every recipe I have made from here has never let me down.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        May 01, 2019 at 3:45 pm

        Aww that's wonderful! Thrilled you are enjoying so many recipes, Michelle 🙂

        Reply
    6. Catherine says

      December 28, 2018 at 6:52 pm

      5 stars
      Just made this tonight, and really enjoyed it! I added a little smoked paprika to the soup to give it some extra smokiness. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        January 03, 2019 at 10:42 am

        You're most welcome! I'm so happy you love the recipe so much, Catherine 🙂

        Reply
    7. Softscracked says

      June 13, 2018 at 9:04 am

      thanx a lot this sharing i like this

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        June 15, 2018 at 8:29 am

        You're welcome 🙂

        Reply
    8. Robert says

      February 25, 2018 at 1:46 pm

      Any suggestions on an alternative to the liquid smoke? I am finding it difficult to track down in my local supermarket. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        February 25, 2018 at 2:34 pm

        You can order it on amazon, or you can substitute smoked paprika but it's less intense so you will have to add a bit more. Hope that helps!

        Reply
      • Janet says

        January 21, 2020 at 6:29 am

        Not sure where you live but liquid smoke can be found most anywhere, I purchased mine at a Walmart grocery store. You need to look in the condiment section where the ketchup, soy sauce, barbecue sauce etc. is located. Usually top shelf but ask someone at the store. Hope this helps

        Reply
    9. Megan says

      February 14, 2018 at 1:05 pm

      4 stars
      Loving your recipes - made the jackfruit bbq pork last week (and I actually really appreciated the complex version with the bbq sauce recipe!) and looking forward to making this soup.

      Can you add the Yummly app to your blog (right alongside pintrest and all the rest?) I’d love to save recipes there from my phone vs ha I g to do it on my pc 🙂

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        February 15, 2018 at 9:39 am

        Good idea, added! 🙂

        Reply
    10. Wirecast Crack says

      December 13, 2017 at 9:03 am

      Yay! So happy you loved it, Srivani

      Reply
    11. Lumion 8 says

      December 09, 2017 at 1:25 am

      very informative post. thanks

      Reply
    12. Reiboot Registration Code says

      December 06, 2017 at 11:18 pm

      very informative post. thanks

      Reply
    13. Srivani says

      November 26, 2017 at 8:06 pm

      5 stars
      Great soup, Sam! I marinated the tofu in the soy, maple and smoke for 24 hours, then baked in more soy, maple and smoke. So tasty and super easy.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        November 27, 2017 at 12:25 pm

        Yay! So happy you loved it, Srivani 🙂

        Reply
    14. Scott says

      November 22, 2017 at 6:53 pm

      This sounds amazing—perfect for cold autumn nights—and I can't wait to try it. In fact, I'd make it tomorrow were it not Thanksgiving here in the states. Thanks, Sam!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        November 23, 2017 at 1:22 pm

        Happy Thanksgiving, Scott! You're most welcome, I hope you enjoy it when you get a chance to make it 🙂

        Reply

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