Hot & Sour Soup

Whenever I return from a trip, all I want is a hot bowl of soup. As you may know from following my Instagram account, I love all types of soup. One that I started making more regularly recently is the Chinese Hot and Sour Soup. It’s so flavorful. There’s something about the sourness, saltiness, and the spice that just hits the spot. I love the crunchy textures of the bamboo and water chestnuts as well as the softness of the tofu and egg ribbons. So yummy. It tastes so much better when you make it at home yourself. Restaurants sometimes overdo it on the cornstarch, soy sauce, or spice. I don’t use cornstarch in my recipe at all because I generally prefer thin, brothier soups. You may add cornstarch if you like a thicker texture. If you’re a soup lover, try my recipe!

Hot and Sour Soup (serves 4-5)

Ingredients:

·       32 oz low sodium chicken broth

·      1 quart & 1 cup of water

·       15 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrate in bowl of hot water for 30 minutes, thinly sliced

·       1 small 8 oz can of bamboo shoots

·       6 oz tofu, cubed

·       3 eggs, lightly whisked

·       1 small can of water chestnuts, sliced (optional)

·       1 clove of garlic, mashed

·       1 nubbin of ginger

·       4½ tbsp soy sauce

·       6 tbsp vinegar

·       ½ - 1 tsp chili flakes

·       2 tsp sesame oil 

·       ½ tsp black pepper

·       ½-¾ tsp salt

·      ¾ cup of scallions diced

Directions: Bring the broth with water to a boil. Simmer for about 15 minutes with ginger and garlic. Add tofu, bamboo, rehydrated sliced shiitake mushrooms, and water chestnuts. If there is not enough broth, add more water. Cook for 15 minutes. Season the soup with soy sauce, vinegar, chili flakes, sesame oil, black pepper, and salt. Cook for another 15 minutes. Create egg ribbons by slowly pouring in the whisked eggs into the pot. Stir the eggs in the pot of soup with a fork or chopstick. Toss in half of the scallions and then continue to cook for a couple more minutes. Top with additional fresh scallions when serving.

Rotisserie Chicken Soup for the Soul

Chicken soup is always good for the soul but especially during a cold winter night. I might be part of the minority who loves soup all year round though. Recently, I made chicken soup using a rotisserie chicken. Store bought rotisserie chickens are amazing. They are inexpensive, delicious, and usually around $7.99 and can last several meals. The only downfall for me is that I don’t really love white meat and I don’t want to eat chicken for more than a couple meals in a row. So I decided to save the dark meat to eat on its own and use the rest of the chicken to flavor a pot of chicken soup. I’ve never tried making soup this way before but was recently inspired by another food blogger. Typically, I make soup from scratch with raw chicken but this method was a lot easier and was still flavorful. It tastes even better the next day and it’s still delicious as leftovers after being frozen.

Rotisserie Chicken Soup (serve about 6-8)

Ingredients:

1 whole Rotisserie Chicken (store bought)

4-5 celery stalks, trimmed and sliced

3 whole carrots, peeled and sliced

1 small sweet yellow onion, diced

1 medium sized white potato or 2 small ones, peeled and cubed

1-2 cobs of corn (shaved) or 1 can of roasted or regular whole kernal corn (fresh is better and sweeter though)

2 cloves of garlic, mashed

1 chunk of ginger, peeled

1 tbsp olive oil

1 bay leaf

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp oregano

2½ tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

dash of sugar (optional)

3½ quarts of water

Directions: First, I remove the dark meat from the rotisserie chicken. I love to eat dark meat with rice, soy sauce, chili, and cucumbers. I separate the dark meat from the bones, save the dark meat in Tupperware to be eaten later, and set the bones aside. Then I remove the white meat from the bones and break it up into shreds with my hands and set it aside, keeping all the bones. I usually use about 1½ cup to 2 cups of shredded white chicken meat in the soup and the rest I save to use in my salad.

In a 8-quart pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic and lightly brown. Place all the bones from your rotisserie chicken (including some skin and wings, for more depth and flavor) into the pot and pour in 3 quarts of water. Make sure bones are mostly submerged. Toss in carrots along with bay leaf, ginger, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, and a dash of sugar. I personally prefer to cut up 1 carrot into big chunks to use at the beginning and cut 2 carrots into thinner slices to be added in later. Because of the thickness of the carrot chunks, it can withstand being cooked longer while sweetening the soup early on. The thinner slices are added in later so it won’t be overcooked and mushy but will be better for the aesthetic and for eating, in my opinion. Simmer for 45 minutes on medium to medium low heat, covered with lid slightly ajar.

Remove ginger and discard. Add celery, potatoes and corn to the pot. At this time, you can also add in the thinner slices of carrots. Toss in shredded chicken. Pour in 2 cups of water. Simmer for 45 more minutes with lid slightly ajar.

Taste broth. Add more salt, if necessary, and cook for a few more minutes. Remove all of the bones with tongs and discard.

Enjoy!

Russian Cabbage Soup

I love a good hearty soup. It is my absolute favorite thing to eat. It’s always so comforting and soothing. But I never thought a cabbage soup would be so delicious until I had Russian Cabbage soup for the first time when I lived in Hong Kong. It might sound strange to discover Russian Soup in Hong Kong (or maybe it doesn’t sound strange because Hong Kong is closer to Russia) but that is where I first tried it. From a can too. And made by Campbells. Ever since then, I’d look for the cabbage soup on menus in restaurants all over Los Angeles, but it’s not an easy soup to find.

Over the course of the pandemic, I’ve been trying new recipes with all the time we have in quartantine. After 8 years since I returned to the U.S. from Hong Kong, I finally made Russian Cabbage Soup for the first time! It was pretty good but not perfect. I might have to make tweaks next time. Or maybe I just need to make it again without all the pressure of making it perfect the first time. In the middle of cooking and tasting and eating, it’s sometimes hard to tell. Sometimes I need to have a little distance from my cooking to know if it’s good enough or not. Anyway, this is the perfect soup for winter especially now that it’s starting to get cold. Hope you like it!

Russian Cabbage Soup (serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

·       1-1½ stewed beef cubes or sirloin steak cut up into large chunks

·       1 head of cabbage, roughly chopped

·       1 sweet yellow onion, diced

·       2 carrots, diced

·       2 celery sticks, diced

·       2 cans of beef broth

·       1 large can of San Marzano tomatoes

·       1 can of tomato sauce

·       ¼ cup of vinegar

·       ¾ - 1 cup of water

·       ½ - 1 tsp salt

·       ¼ tsp black pepper

·       3½ tbsp sugar

·       parsley, chopped (optional for garnishing)

Directions:

In a large pot over medium high heat, sauté onions until brown.  Add carrots and celery.  Cook for a few minutes.

Lower heat to medium.  Add beef and cabbage.  Sprinkle in salt and pepper.  Pour in beef broth, tomatoes, and tomato sauce.  Cover pot with lid, leaving a little room for steam to be released.  Cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.  Once the mixture starts to bubble up, lower heat to medium low.

Add vinegar and sugar.  Stir soup and cook for another 30 minutes.  Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Chinese Egg Drop Soup

This week I was craving soup. I’m always craving soup though. But I didn’t want to make anything complicated. Perfect solution: Chinese Egg Drop Soup. Requires very few ingredients—chicken broth, eggs, scallions, and ginger, and a few seasonings. If you have homemade chicken broth even better. I chose to add a few shiitake mushrooms and corn because I like a little variety in my soup, but it’s not necessary. This soup is all about the eggs anyways. It’s clear and soothing. It’s supposed to be a very quick soup to make, but I tend to cook it longer than most recipes because I prefer a stronger ginger flavor. However, 45 minutes for soup is still fairly quick. Even though I freeze almost everything, I wouldn’t recommend freezing this soup only because cooked egg doesn’t freeze that well. If you want though, you can freeze the cooked broth without the egg and add the egg when you’re ready to eat it. Hope you like the soup! Let me know what you think!

EGG DROP SOUP (makes about 6 small bowls)

Ingredients:

• 4 Cups of chicken broth

• 2 cups of water (1 hot, mixed with cornstarch)

• 1 tbsp cornstarch or flour

• 1 chunk of ginger, peeled

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 4 eggs

• 1 cup of canned kernal corn (optional)

• 4 fresh shiitake mushrooms, destemmed and thinly sliced (optional) 

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 1/2 cup of chopped scallions

• optional toppings: fresh ground black pepper, chili oil, or fried garlic

Directions:

Bring chicken stock with 1 cup of water to a simmer with ginger. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and pepper.  Cook for 30 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of hot water mixed with cornstarch or flour. Add mushrooms and corn. Cook for another 15 min. Pour in beaten eggs and slowly stir in one direction using a fork or chopstick. Allow eggs to cook for a minute or two. Add scallions and serve. You can also top your bowl of soup with fresh ground black pepper, chili oil, or fried garlic.

Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

I love tortilla soup. Even though I always look for it in the ready-made food section of the grocery store, I’ve never tried making it myself. One of the reasons I have never tried making it before is that I didn’t know how much of it I would actually eat and I only know how to cook for 6-8 people, never for one. I wasn’t sure it was the type of soup that I could eat lots of and freeze for later. As it turns out, I can eat a whole pot of it on my own without any leftovers to freeze!

With a lot more time on my hands during this pandemic, I have been challenging myself with new recipes and finally attempted to make tortilla soup. It’s sooooo delicious and hearty! And it’s so easy to make! I used store-bought chicken broth, store-bought rotisserie chicken, and store-bought tortilla strips. A lot of recipes have you make your own chicken and tortilla strips, and sometimes even your own broth (which I normally prefer), but buying all of these ingredients is so much easier! A whole rotisserie chicken is pretty cheap and you will still have a lot leftover to use for other meals. I don’t like beans and never have so I chose to omit them from the receipe but you can include them if you’d like. The toppings are my favorite part—the melted cheese, the crunchy tortilla strips, and the creamy avocado. Yum, yum, yum… I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

EASY CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP (serves about 5-6)

Ingredients:

• 1½ - 2 cups of shredded roasted chicken breast (depends how much you like meat!)

• 1 sweet yellow onion, diced

• 4 cloves of garlic, diced

• 1 jalapeno, deseeded and sliced

• 1 can of corn (or about 1.5 cups of frozen fire roasted corn or 1-2 cobs of corn shaved)

• 1 can of unsalted diced tomatoes

• 32 oz of chicken broth (low-sodium)

• 2 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp paprika

• 2 tsp oregano

• ½ - 1 tsp chili powder

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 lime, juiced

• 2 - 2¼ tsp salt

• 2 tsp ground black pepper

• 4 cups of water

• 1 tbsp olive oil

Toppings:

• 2 small avocados, cubed

• ½ cup of cilantro, finely chopped

• thinly shredded Monterrey Jack & Cheddar cheese mix

• tortilla strips (in the grocery store salad section by the croutons)

• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions:

In a 3 quart pot, heat olive oil on medium-high heat. Sauté onions until golden brown. Throw in garlic and jalapeno and lightly toast.  If your pan gets a little too hot and dry, lower heat a bit and add maybe ½ cup of water.

Add shredded chicken and 1 cup of the chicken broth. Season with salt, pepper, chili, cumin, oregano, and paprika. Toss in the bay leaf. Pour in another 1 cup of the chicken broth and stir. Cook for a couple minutes. Add canned tomatoes and mix. Pour in the rest of the chicken broth. Turn heat down to medium and cook for about 30 minutes. You may need to lower the heat to medium low if it starts bubbling too much.

Add 4 cups of water, corn, and lime juice. Stir and then cook for another 15 minutes. Then taste the broth and make adjustments as needed with salt, pepper, chili, or water and cook for another 15 minutes. I prefer my soup a little brothy because of the additional toppings that you add into your bowl after. You may need to adjust based on your preference and also whether you decide to add more chicken and/or beans.

In each serving bowl, top with cubes of avocado, shredded cheese, tortilla strips, cilantro, and a wedge of lime.

Creamy Turmeric Chicken Soup

I love soup. Especially, a good chicken soup. I mean, who doesn’t? Chicken soup is the best comfort food and a cure-all for all illnesses. There are 2 types of chicken soup that I particularly love: Colombian Ajiaco soup and Indonesian Soto Ayam soup. Both are delicious and have ingredients that I enjoy so I created a recipe that combines the distinct flavors from both of these soups. It’s creamy and soothing with a touch of citrus. I like to serve the soup with rice but you can add broken spaghetti pasta to this soup to convert it into a chicken noodle soup. Try my recipe and let me know what you think!

Ingredients: (serves 6-8)

·      1 tbsp olive oil

·      1 tbsp turmeric

·      1 tsp cumin

·      2-2½ tsp salt

·      1 tsp ground black pepper

·      1 cup of coconut milk

·      3 cloves of garlic, smashed

·      4 tbsp fish sauce

·      1 oz chunks of ginger, peeled

·      2 stalks of lemongrass, cut into 3-inch sections

·      5 kaffir lime leaves, torn

·      4 chicken drums or 3 chicken thighs

·      ½ sweet yellow onion, diced

·      1½ cups of chopped carrots

·      1½ cups of chopped celery

·      2 cups of cubed white potatoes, skin peeled

·      2½-3 ears of corn, cut into 4-6 chunks each

·      2 cups of diced cilantro

·      2 limes, cut into wedges

·      3 quarts of water

Directions:

In a large 6-7 quart stock pot over medium high heat, add olive oil and sauté the onions and garlic until they have lightly browned. Add 2 quarts of water, chicken, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, ginger, 3 tbsp fish sauce, pepper, salt, and carrots. Cover pot with lid slightly ajar. Cook for 45 minutes, removing any fat and foam build up at the surface of the broth. You may have to lower heat to medium once the broth starts to boil.

Remove chicken. Meat should be fully cooked. Pull meat off the bones and shred into smaller pieces with a fork. Return bones to pot and set shredded chicken aside. Add celery, potatoes, coconut milk, remaining 1 tbsp of fish sauce, turmeric, cumin, and 1 quart of water. Cook for another 15 minutes, continuing to remove any fat and foam build up at the top.

Add corn. Cook for another 15 minutes.

Return shredded chicken to soup. Sprinkle in some cilantro, serve with a wedge of lime. The fresh citrus juice really enhances the flavor of the soup. Optional: eat with rice.