Seafood Tofu Soup Recipe

Peel and slice the ginger thinly; mince the garlic. Trim and separate the white and green parts of the scallions; slice the white parts thinly and reserve the greens for garnish.

In a large pot, combine the 6 cups stock and 1 cup water. Add sliced ginger, minced garlic, and the white parts of the scallions. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.

Stir in soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, salt, and white pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning — the broth should be savory with a mild seafood/umami note. Keep simmering gently while you prepare other ingredients.

Prepare tofu and veg

Drain the tofu and gently pat dry with paper towels. Cut into 1-inch cubes (or larger if you prefer). Slice shiitake mushrooms thinly; peel and thinly slice the carrot on a bias; separate and rinse baby bok choy leaves and chop larger leaves into bite-size pieces.

Add the carrots and mushrooms to the simmering broth first and simmer 3–4 minutes until slightly softened.

Gently add the tofu cubes to the pot, taking care not to break them. Add corn kernels and bok choy. Simmer 2–3 minutes to heat through and allow flavors to meld.

Prepare seafood

If shrimp have tails, remove them if desired; pat all seafood pieces dry and, if using scallops, halve thicker ones so pieces are roughly uniform in size.

Increase heat to medium-high so broth returns to a gentle boil. Add the white fish pieces first and poach for 1–2 minutes. Then add the scallops and squid (if using) and simmer for 1–2 more minutes. Finally add the shrimp and cook until shrimp are opaque and scallops are just cooked through — about 1–2 minutes more. Total seafood cooking time should be brief to keep texture tender.

Make slurry

In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water until smooth to make a slurry.

Reduce heat to a simmer. Slowly pour the cornstarch slurry into the soup while stirring gently. Simmer 1 minute until broth slightly thickens. If you prefer a thinner broth, skip or halve the slurry.

Optional egg ribbon

If using the egg, beat it lightly in a small bowl. With the soup at a gentle simmer, drizzle the beaten egg in a thin stream while stirring slowly to create egg ribbons. Turn off the heat once ribbons form.

Final seasoning & garnish

Adjust seasoning with additional salt, soy sauce, or a pinch of white pepper to taste. Stir in chopped cilantro and the reserved sliced scallion greens. Sprinkle red pepper flakes if using.