Spring Tofu Soup

by ALISON ROMAN Makes: 4 servings Total time: 20 minutes

For my benefit of not having ads on my face while reading a recipe online.

 Ingredients:

• 3 garlic cloves, finely grated or chopped
• 1 jalapeño, finely grated or chopped
• 2 lemons
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 10 ounces mushrooms, such as enoki, white button, cremini or oyster
• 1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups peas (fresh or frozen)
• 1 (12- to 14-ounce) package soft tofu, drained, or use firm tofu, cut in bite-size pieces
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• 4 scallions, very thinly sliced, for serving

Steps:

1. Combine garlic and jalapeño in a small bowl. Finely zest the lemons, and add zest to the bowl with the jalapeño mixture. (Reserve the lemons for juicing.) Season heavily with salt and pepper. Set aside. 
2. In a large pot, bring broth and soy sauce to a simmer, and season with salt and pepper. 
3. Add mushrooms and simmer until they’re just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add asparagus, peas and half the jalapeño mixture, and season the broth again with salt and pepper. Cook vegetables until they’re bright green and starting to float, 2 to 4 minutes. 
4. To serve, spoon a large piece of tofu into each bowl. (Alternatively, scoop tofu into the pot, breaking it into large pieces.) Top with more of the jalapeño mixture, and ladle the broth and vegetables over. 
5. Drizzle with olive oil and scatter with scallions before serving.