Whiplash Weather Soup

Silken tofu and soba noodles in a delicate, gingery broth — which also involves the blast of your broiler

We’ve all probably begun to notice suggestions of spring, separate of what the calendar says, and with that comes a craving for more delicate, springy foods. These foods are several weeks or even months from appearing at farmers markets, of course, but that does little to diminish the craving.

In that spirit, today’s soup is on the delicate side, anchored by wobbly chunks of silken tofu and tender soba noodles, which come together in a balanced broth. But it also involves blasting your scallions and ginger with the broiler, layering flavor over a smoky, assertive base. Altogether, it reminds me of like the whiplash of the weather.

I had a few things in mind, like Japanese hot weather dishes like hiyayakko or zaru soba, but also sizzling pots of Korean soondubu jigae, as well as the delicious condiment ginger-scallion sauce. But this isn’t really any of those things, just a happening based on the ingredients in my kitchen.

It’s an easy one to customize, and would be delightful with one of your prized eggs, perfectly soft-boiled for 6 minutes and added to the soup when you serve it. As always, there are several more notes and ideas below, for easy tinkering.

---

Charred Scallion & Ginger Silken Tofu with Soba