If you're looking for a tasty way of using Chinese wolfberries, we have a fabulous vegan goji berry soup recipe we want to share with you.
Our recipe is based on the classic Chinese goji berry soup, but we made it vegan using vegetable stock, and we whizzed the berries with the broth instead of leaving them whole.
The result is a colourful red-orange broth with an intense goji berry flavour. Pretty, delicious, and 100% plant-based!
You can enjoy the goji soup as is or top it with our stir-fried sesame tofu bites for a boost of plant-based proteins and extra texture.
Folks in China have been eating Goji berries as a healing food for centuries, and they've now become increasingly popular in the UK and USA as a nutritionally rich superfood.
These bright red berries have a unique bittersweet, fruity, and woody taste. And they're packed with so many beneficial antioxidants that even a small handful covers 500% of your vitamin A RDI!
If you tried Goji berries in recipes like smoothies, breakfast bowls, and salads, and it's time to give them a go in this colourful and nutritious Chinese-style soup. We're sure you'll love it!
So, gather the ingredients and let us show you how to make it.
What does this goji berry soup taste like?
This goji berry soup combines the bittersweet and cranberry-like flavour of goji berries with delicious roasted red peppers, savoury soy sauce, and toasted sesame oil.
It has the perfect balance of sweet, sour, and savoury notes.
Is this goji soup healthy?
Soups made with goji berries are incredibly healthy as they pack lots of health-boosting antioxidants, plus beneficial fibres.
Chinese "wolfberries" have been used for centuries in Chinese cuisine as a healing ingredient, and many scientific studies have backed their various health benefits.
Goji berries are good for your eyes and skin health, immune system, blood sugars, and mood.
If you'd like to learn more about these wonderful berries, we have an interesting article about goji berries and their benefits, plus tasty recipe ideas to add to your diet.
How do you use goji berries in soups?
You can use goji berries in soups in three different ways:
Simmer goji berries in the soup broth until soft and plump
Blend soft goji berries with stock for a colourful red soup
Sprinkle dried goji berries over the soup for a chewy finish
In our recipe, we blended dried goji berries with vegetable stock and roasted red peppers to make a smooth and bright orange soup.
Ingredients
| Goji Soup | |
| Red Peppers | 2 |
| Grated Ginger Root | 1/2 tbsp |
| Dried Goji Berries | 100 g |
| Vegetable Stock | 1.2 L |
| Gluten-Free Soy Sauce | 1 tbsp |
| Chinese Rice Vinegar | 1/2 tbsp |
| To Serve | |
| Sesame Oil | 2 tbsp |
| Firm Tofu | 480 g |
| Spring Onions | to taste |
Step 1
Let's start by roasting the peppers.
Halve the red peppers, remove the seeds and the inner membranes.
Place the peppers halves, cut-side down, on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Roast them at 200°C (400°F) for 25 minutes until they are lightly blackened and their outer skin is wrinkled.
Step 2
Meanwhile, let's stir-fry the tofu.
Rinse the tofu block under cold water and gently squeeze out excess water.
Then, pat it dry with kitchen paper and optionally press it between two chopping boards lined with paper to get rid of excess moisture.
Now, heat half of the sesame oil in a skillet and add the tofu cut into bite-size cubes.
Sear them on all sides over medium heat until lightly golden and crisp, then season them with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 3
Once the peppers are ready, cover them with foil and let them cool down until they're cold enough to handle.
The steam trapped under the cling film will help loosen the peppers' skin.
Now, peel off the skin, discard it, and roughly cut the peppers into chunks.
Step 4
In a soup pot, sizzle the remaining sesame oil with grated ginger and then add in the peppers, dried goji berries, vegetable stock, soy sauce, and rice vinegar.
Step 5
Bring the soup to a boil and then simmer it covered for 10-15 minutes.
Then, blitz it with a stick blender until smooth.
Step 6
Finally, divide the goji soup among serving bowls, add the tofu bites and garnish with chopped spring onions.
Tips
You can swap tofu with shiitake mushrooms or king oyster mushrooms and add some toasted sesame seeds or crunchy peanuts.