Soups are no stranger during meals in a Chinese household. Chinese soups tend to have a good balance of protein and vegetables. They are light unlike some Western soups where the latter tend to be hardier and heavier with cream or milk. These soups are typically served to complement other dishes, but the recipes below are modified to serve as a meal by themselves.
Here is a list of common soup recipes that you can try. Remember, you can experiment with your fav ingredients by substituting the veg or meats in the recipes or add noodles or rice to the soups. Enjoy!
**All recipes serve as a meal for 4 people**
- Hot and Sour Soup
- Shrimp Wonton Soup
- Simple Vegetable Soup
- Sweet Corn Soup
- Simple Fish Soup
- Simple Chicken Soup
- Seafood Noodle Soup
To read more on some of the ingredients listed in the recipes, visit my article Ingredients for Chinese Cooking.
Hot and Sour Soup Recipe
Ingredients:
1 packet of silken or regular tofu, 6 cups chicken stock, 2 tbs julienne ginger, 3 tsp sea salt, 2 tsp white sugar, 2/3 cup fresh or frozen peas, 1 diced tomato, 1 cup fresh or reconstituted dried shiitake mushrooms- cut to bite sizes, 2 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs malt vinegar, 0.25 tsp chili oil, 1 cup fresh black cloud ear fungus, 3 eggs- lightly beaten and 1 cup julienne scallions
Procedures:
1. Cut tofu to bite sizes
2. In a large pot, boil stock over medium heat. Add ginger, salt and sugar to combine. Reduce to low heat, add peas, stir and let it simmer for 2 mins
3. Add tofu, tomato, mushrooms, soy sauce, vinegar and chili oil and simmer till peas are tender
4. Add black cloud ear fungus and simmer for 1 min
5. Pour egg into the soup slowly and stir simultaneously so the eggs form fine ribbons. Remove pot from heat
6. Serve in bowls and garnish with fresh scallions
Simple Vegetable Soup
Ingredients:
1 bunch bok choy, 1 small carrot- peeled and sliced (use a peeler for finely sliced), 6 cups vegetable stock, 1 tbs julienne ginger, 1 tbs soy sauce, 1 tsp white sugar, 1 small tomato- cut in wedges, 1 cup fresh oyster mushrooms, 1 cup snow peas, 0.5 cup fresh black cloud ear fungus- chopped, 1 cup shredded Chinese cabbage, 1 tsp sesame oil, 0.25 cup chopped cilantro leaves, 0.25 cup chopped mint leaves and 1 thinly sliced red chili
Procedures:
1. Trim bok choy and mushrooms to bite size
2. In a large pot, boil stock over medium heat. Add ginger, soy sauce and sugar and stir to combine
3. Reduce to low heat. Add tomato and oyster mushrooms. Simmer for a few minutes
4. Add bok choy, carrot, snow peas, fungus and cabbage. Simmer for a few mins until vegs are tender
5. Add sesame oil and stir. Remove from heat
6. Serve soup in bowls. Sprinkle the chopped herbs and chili as garnish
Simple Fish Soup
Ingredients:
1 bunch bak choy, 6 cups fish stock, 1 tbs julienne ginger, 1 tbs soy sauce, 1 tsp white sugar, 13 oz firm white-fleshed fish fillets like tilapia- cut on the diagonal into 0.5 inch slices, 1 cup fresh oyster mushrooms, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1.5 cups fresh bean sprouts, 0.25 cup cilatro leaves and 2 tbs finely sliced scallions
Procedures:
1. Trim bok choy and mushrooms to bite sizes
2. In a large pot, boil stock over medium heat. Add ginger, soy sauce and sugar. Stir to combine
3. Reduce to low heat and add fish. Simmer for 1 min
4. Add mushrooms and simmer for 30s. Add bok choy and simmer until veg and fish are cooked through
5. Stir in sesame oil and remove pot from heat
6. Serve in bowls. Sprinkle fresh herbs and bean sprouts as garnish
Seafood Noodle Soup
Ingredients:
8 oz squids, 16 medium uncooked, peeled and deveined shrimps, 15 oz Hokkien noodles, 1 bunch bok choy, 6 cups fish stock, 1 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs julienne ginger, 1 tsp white sugar, 6.5 oz firm white-fleshed fish like tilapia- cut in 0.5 inch slices, 1 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, 2 tsp sesame oil, 1 cup fresh bean sprouts, 0.5 cup julienne scallions and 0.25 cup cilantro leaves
Procedures:
1. Clean squids and slice to bite sizes
2. Rinse noodles and drain them, making sure they do not stick together
3. Trim bok choy and mushrooms to bite sizes
4. In a large pot, bring stock to the boil over medium heat. Add soy sauce, ginger and sugar and stir to combine
5. Reduce to low heat. Add shrimps and fish and simmer for 1 min
6. Add squids, noodles and mushroom and let it simmer for another min
7. Add bok choy and cook until fish is cooked through
8. Stir in sesame oil and remove pot from heat
9. Serve in bowls and garnish with bean sprouts and fresh herbs
Shrimp Wonton Soup Recipe
Shrimp wontons ingredients:
9 fresh medium shrimps, 1 tbs chopped cilantro leaves, 1tbs chopped scallions, 1.5 tsp finely diced ginger, 1 tsp shao hsing wine or dry sherry, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1tsp oyster sauce, 0.25 tsp white sugar, 0.25 tsp sesame oil and 16 fresh wonton wrappers (3 in squares)
Soup ingredients:
4 to 5 bak choy leaves and stems, 6 cups chicken stock, 1 tbs julienne ginger, 1 tbs soy sauce, 1 tsp white sugar, 0.5 tsp sesame oil and 0.25 cup julienne scallions
Procedures:
1. For the wontons, peel and devein shrimps. Dice finely and combine with the rest of the ingredients, except the wonton wrappers. Set aside in a bowl, cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 mins. This is the filling for the wontons
2. Fill 1 tsp of filling on a wonton wrapper. Moisten half of the edge of the wrapper. Gently fold the wonton lengthwise, making sure the filling is completely enclosed. Press lightly at all edges to seal. Set aside. (You can shape it further by taking two ends and bring them together with a twisting action, and press lightly to join). Repeat until the remaining filling is used up.
3. Trim bak choy to bite size
4. In a large pot, boil stock over medium heat. Add ginger, soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil. Stir to combine. Reduce to low heat and drop the wontons in to the stock. Stir gently for 2 mins
5. Add bak choy and simmer until the veg and wontons are tender and cooked through
6. Remove pot from heat
7. Serve the soup hot and garnish with scallions
Sweet Corn Soup
Ingredients:
4 fresh cobs sweet corn, 2 tbs veg oil, 1 small onion- diced, 2 tbs julienne ginger, 1 garlic clove- minced, 1 tsp salt, 0.5 cup shao hsing wine or dry sherry, 7 cups chicken stock, 1 tsp soy sauce, 2 eggs- beaten and 1 tbs finely sliced scallions
Procedures:
1. Remove kernels from corn cobs by running a sharp knife down the sides of each cob. Be careful not to slice your fingers!
2. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onion, ginger, garlic and salt for 1 min. Add wine or sherry and simmer for another min or until liquid has reduced by half
3. Add corn and stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and sime gently for 30 mins. During the cooking time, skim the soup’s surface occasionally for oils or any impurities
4. Stir in soy sauce. Pour egg slowly and stir simultaneously so that the egg form fine ribbons Remove from heat
5. Serve with scallions as garnish
Simple Chicken Soup
Ingredients:
1 bunch of bok choy, 6 cups chicken stock, 2 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs julienne ginger, 1 tsp white sugar, 13 oz chicken breasts- cut in 1 in slices, 1 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 cup fresh bean sprouts, 0.25 cup chopped cilantro and 0.25 cup mint leaves
Procedures:
1. Trim bok choy and mushrooms to bite size
2. In a large pot, boil stock over medium heat. Add soy sauce, ginger and sugar and stir to combine
3. Reduce to low heat. Add chicken, mushrooms and bok choy. Simmer until chicken is cooked through
4. Stir in sesame oil and remove pot from heat
5. Serve in bowls. Sprinkle fresh herbs and bean sprouts as garnish
Resource: Simple Chinese Cooking by Kylie Kwong