top of page
Search
Writer's pictureVince Flight

10 Most Comforting Soups For All Time

Ah, who can resist a bowl of warm soup? Well, not us, we love soup! In Asia, soups are essential to any meal- they are both comforting, bolstering and the perfect end to a meal. Sometimes, they’re especially helpful for sick days- as in our powerful Ginseng Chicken Soup, or soothing Ginger Turmeric Soup. Other times, they are a good relief to a heavy meal, as with our time-tested Chinese Spinach Soup, or a delightfully juicy and light Wonton Soup for everyday.


1. Tomato Egg Drop


Both sweet and sour, the Tomato Egg Drop Soup is a dish that will whet one’s appetite. Hailing from China, this dish is incredibly easy to prepare, with no special herbs or special techniques other than swirling in of the egg whites to create the egg strands. A truly versatile dish, you can have it as an appetizer, a side dish or even a light meal.


2. Chinese Spinach Soup


Looking for a quick, healthy fix? The humble yet tasty Chinese Spinach Soup is here to the rescue! A combination of the simplest of ingredients- the Chinese spinach, dried ikan bilis (dried anchovies), garlic and eggs, this soup takes about 30 minutes to make from start to finish. For added sweetness, throw in a handful of wolfberries! Serve hot with rice for a complete meal.


3. Oxtail Soup


One of the most underrated meat soups ever, Oxtail Soup is a deliciously thick broth (or light one, depending on how you like it), made earthy and deep with very tender oxtail meat. Some say it’s more like a stew than a soup- but we say either way, you won’t be able to stop slurping it up, especially on a cold rainy day.


4. Wonton Soup


One of the few essential Chinese soups you must have in your recipe collection. Smooth and substantial, Wonton Soup is a great accompaniment to any meal. And it’s surprisingly easy to make. All you do is fill store-bought wonton sheets with chopped prawns and drop them wonton-by-wonton, gently into a bubbling brew of aromatic chicken stock and an addictive umami handful (or stock) of Ikan Bilis.


5. Ginseng Chicken Soup


Jam-packed with nutritious goodness, the Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup (Samgyetang) is said to be the perfect summer dish to fight the heat. The chicken is lovingly stuffed with soaked glutinous rice. Then it’s gently simmered with garlic, ginger, and the super-herb of Asian cuisine, ginseng, said to aid in boosting energy and the immune system. Serve piping hot with rice, chopped scallions, salt and pepper on the side. In fact, some eat it as a meal on its own, adding more glutinous rice for a more substantial bite.


6. ABC Soup


ABC is known for two things – 1. Making it really is as simple as A-B-C. 2. It has all vitamins you need- A, B and C. This classic Chinese ABC Soup is brewed to a light as feather consistency, but packed with powerful nutrients. This is makes it one of the most nourishing soups. Usually, a good slab of pork or chicken ribs will make a tasty soup base. And for natural sweetness, add carrots, potatoes, tomatoes and onions. To cook, all you need is a big soup pot, lots of water, and an hour or so for the ingredients to simmer and infused into one another. Here’s an interesting fact- it is affectionately known as the leftover soup because almost any leftover vegetables works well with the soup. Vegetarian? Simply use veggies as your base, and more onions for sweetness, then sip and savour.


7. Lotus Root Soup


A light Chinese soup eaten anytime and especially at Chinese New Year. Sip slowly the fat-infused chicken soup naturally sweetened with lotus root and big soft peanuts for a nutty, silky finish in between swirling herbal garlic and ginger bits.


8. Salted Vegetable Duck Soup


As with most dishes in Teochew, a city in the eastern province of China, the key to making the best Salted Vegetable Duck Soup lies in the freshness and quality of the ingredients, as well as to cater enough time for simmering. This ensures that the duck meat falls off the bone! Fun fact, this soup is known to boost one’s appetite because of its salty savoury taste.


9. Carrot Ginger Turmeric Soup


A blend of some of the most invigorating stuff on the planet. The goodness of carrots, ginger, onions, and to top it off, shining with the golden yellow of turmeric. Don’t stop blending until you achieve a smooth but dense consistency- that’s the perfect soup spot for us. If you’re looking for a smoother soup, blend for longer. If you prefer more texture- a rougher consistency, blend briefly.


10. Thai Pork Dumplings Soup


If you enjoy Chinese Dumpling Soup (or Wonton Soup), you will enjoy its distant cousin –the Thai Pork Dumpling Soup! This soup is full of Thai flavors like lemongrass and fish sauce, with dumplings floating in a hearty chicken soup so juicy that they will knock your socks off. Finish the soup with a handful of sliced scallions and cilantro leaves!


For Authentic and Healthy Filipino cuisine you may come and visit Ka Tunyings Cafe located at Tandang Sora, Quezon City



16 views0 comments

Comments


bottom of page