Chicken Broth

Here is a post duplicated from my other blog, Simply: Home Cooking - it seemed appropriate since so many of the recipes here call from chicken broth! Chicken broth is definitely a staple you’ll want to have on hand if you’re not vegetarian, and yes, there are fairly healthful canned and boxed versions out there; however, [...]

Cucumber & Bamboo Beancurd Soup

If you live near an Asian market, you should be able to find “bamboo beancurd,” a nice change of pace for those into tofu. Here it’s used in a warming soup with cucumbers. Can’t find bamboo beancurd? You can substitute any firm variety of tofu – plain, pressed, or baked – cut into strips or [...]

Pork & Daikon Soup

This is a great winter comfort food that is quick to assemble but does need some time to cook. Of course, you could make this vegan by leaving out the pork and using a vegetable broth. I made a fun discovery about daikon by mistake (apparently I put the daikon too close to the cold air flow [...]

Seaweed & Sparerib Soup

This is a wonderful winter comfort food that is a snap to put together, although it does need some time to cook. For this dish you should look for kelp (scientifically called laminaria, known as haidai in Mandarin) that has been dried in strips. If you don’t have an Asian market nearby, you can alternatively [...]

Vegetarian Mustard Green Soup

Light, clear, quick and healthful – a perfect soup to accompany a Chinese meal. You can easily make this vegan by using vegetable broth or water. What’s not to like? ingredients: 1 small head Chinese mustard greens (more on that vegetable in the Chinese Mustard Greens with Pressed Beancurd post) 1 qt broth or water 1 medium [...]

Hot & Sour Soup

It’s HOT in SoCal in September, but my thoughts are already turning toward soup and the (slightly) cooler weather of October (tomorrow!), so here’s a perennial favorite that can be tweaked many ways. It is traditionally a pork-based soup, but this is a vegetarian or vegan version, depending on the stock you use. Five spice powder’s [...]

Cabbage and Tofu Soup

This is probably not as popular as egg drop soup, wonton soup and hot and sour soup on the Chinese restaurant circuit, but you will find it offered in most restaurants. It is a very common homemade soup: simple, quick, and tasty, it is the perfect accompaniment or finish to a homecooked meal, particularly one that has some [...]

Egg Drop Soup

Probably the best-known soup from Chinese restaurants, egg drop soup is a quick and satisfying addition to a home-cooked meal. Great to serve with vegetarian meals, as it adds a touch more protein to the mix. In Mandarin, it has the somewhat more poetic name of “egg flower soup,” danhua tang. ingredients: 3 c chicken [...]

Simple Chinese Vegetable Soup

Soup serves several purposes in a Chinese meal: It provides a liquid refreshment, as traditionally water (or horrors – ice water or cold drinks!) are not served with a meal – this purportedly has to do with not wanting to water down the gastric juices thereby aiding digestion. This is now changing in China, where [...]