Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Spinach Fish Fillet and Tofu Soup
菠菜魚片豆腐湯
Recipe overview
This light Hong Kong family soup is quick and easy to eat. Boil the soup base first, add soft tofu gently, cook spinach stems before leaves, and add fish last. Keep spinach green and tofu intact; fish must be cooked until opaque all the way through.
01
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 350 g Boneless white fish fillet (Thaw completely, pat dry, remove visible bones, then slice diagonally into 4–5 cm by 0.8–1 cm pieces)
- 300 g Spinach (Trim tough roots, wash thoroughly, drain; separate stems and leaves and cut long pieces to 8–10 cm)
- 1 pack, about 300–350 g Soft tofu (Tip out gently and cut 2.5–3 cm cubes; do not stir repeatedly)
- 4 slices Ginger
- 2, optional, sliced Scallions
- 1.2 L Water or unsalted/low-sodium chicken stock
Fish marinade
- 1 tsp Light soy sauce (for fish)
- 1 tsp Cornstarch (for fish)
- 1 pinch White pepper (for fish)
- 1 tsp Cooking oil (for fish)
Soup seasoning
- 3/4 tsp Salt (Taste first and reduce if stock is salty)
02
Tools
- Medium soup pot
- Chef knife
- Chopping board
- Large bowl for washing spinach
- Colander
- Small fish-marinating bowl
- Soup ladle
- Chopsticks or long tongs
- Chopsticks or long tongs
- Measuring spoons
- Soup bowls
03
Steps
Step 1
Wash spinach
Swish whole spinach in a large bowl of water, lift it out, change water and wash at least once more until no grit remains; about 3 minutes. Do not soak.
Step 2
Drain and cut spinach
Drain thoroughly in a colander. Cut long spinach to 8–10 cm and separate thicker stems from leaves; about 2 minutes.
Step 3
Cut soft tofu
Gently tip out tofu, cut 2.5–3 cm cubes and set aside without rough handling; about 2 minutes.
Step 4
Slice fish
After the fish is fully thawed, pat it dry, remove visible bones and slice 4–5 cm long and 0.8–1 cm thick. Wash knife, board and hands immediately after handling raw fish.
Step 5
Marinate fish
Gently mix fish with soy sauce, cornstarch, white pepper and oil. Marinate 5 minutes; do not stir hard.
Step 6
Boil soup base
Bring 1.2 L water or unsalted/low-sodium stock with ginger to a steady full boil over high heat, about 5–7 minutes.
Step 7
Add tofu
Turn to medium heat. Gently lower tofu cubes into the broth and cook 2 minutes; avoid a violent boil.
Step 8
Cook spinach stems
Add thicker spinach stems first. Simmer 45–60 seconds until just soft but bright green.
Step 9
Add spinach leaves
Add leaves and simmer 30–45 seconds until just wilted and green; do not cook them dark.
Step 10
Add fish gently
Over medium heat, lower marinated raw fish slices one at a time into the spinach and tofu soup. They may still look translucent.
Step 11
Cook fish and season
Keep a gentle simmer for 2–3 minutes until every slice is opaque white through the centre. Add salt; taste first and reduce salt if using salty stock.
Step 12
Ladle and serve
Turn off heat and ladle spinach, intact tofu, fully cooked fish and hot broth into bowls. Add optional scallion and serve immediately.
Common mistakes
- Undrained spinach clouds soup; drain it well.
- Rough handling breaks tofu; lower it gently.
- Adding fish too early or boiling hard makes it tough; add fish last.
- Translucent fish is unsafe; every centre must be fully opaque.
Tips
Keep fish 0.8–1 cm thick so it stays intact. Stock saltiness differs, so taste before adding salt. Check fish again for bones for children or elderly diners.
