Description
A quick and light Chinese vegetable soup featuring tender Asian greens, fragrant ginger and garlic, and a savory broth infused with star anise and Chinese cooking wine. Ready in just 15 minutes, this low-calorie soup is perfect for a nourishing, flavorful meal that feels like a comforting miracle.
Ingredients
Scale
Broth Ingredients
- 1 litre / 4 cups low sodium chicken stock or broth
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
- 1.5 cm / 1/2″ piece of ginger, cut into 5 thin slices (optional but highly recommended)
- 1 star anise (optional)
- 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce or all-purpose soy sauce
- 2 tsp sugar (any kind)
- 1 1/2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
- 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil (optional)
Vegetables and Garnishes
- 4 – 6 stems Chinese broccoli (or bok choy), stems and leaves sliced separately
- 1 small carrot, peeled, cut in half lengthways then finely sliced on the diagonal
- 75g / 2.5 oz enoki mushrooms (or other mushrooms, sliced or quartered)
- 1/2 cup coriander/cilantro sprigs and leaves, lightly packed (or Thai basil, mint, or chives)
- 1 green onion, green part only, finely sliced
- 2 tbsp crispy fried shallots (store bought)
- Chilli crisp, chilli sauce, or sriracha (optional)
- Optional toppings: sesame seeds, sliced chilli, Thai basil
Instructions
- Infuse the broth: Place the chicken stock, garlic cloves, ginger slices, star anise, soy sauce, sugar, Chinese cooking wine, and sesame oil into a large saucepan over high heat. Cover with a lid and bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and let it gently simmer for 10 minutes to allow all the flavors to meld together. While the broth simmers, chop your vegetables accordingly.
- Cook the vegetables: Increase the heat to high to bring the broth back to a rapid simmer. Add the sliced carrots, Chinese broccoli stems, and enoki mushrooms to the broth. Cook for 3 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften. Then add the Chinese broccoli leaves and push them into the broth. Let simmer for an additional 2 minutes until the leaves are wilted and tender.
- Serve the soup: Remove and discard the garlic cloves and ginger slices from the soup. Divide the soup into two bowls. Top each serving generously with cilantro leaves, sprinkle with sliced green onions, and a handful of crispy fried shallots. Add a dollop of chilli crisp, chilli sauce, or sriracha to taste for a bit of heat. Optionally garnish with sesame seeds, sliced chilli, or Thai basil. Enjoy this nourishing, light, and speedy Chinese vegetable soup!
Notes
- Use low sodium chicken stock to keep the soup light and control saltiness.
- If you don’t have Chinese cooking wine, dry sherry is a good substitute.
- Star anise is optional but adds classic aromatic depth to the broth.
- To chop the Chinese broccoli, separate stems from leaves as they have different cooking times; slice stems thinly and leaves roughly.
- Enoki mushrooms give a noodle-like texture; other mushrooms like shiitake or button can be used if preferred.
- Adjust the level of chili to your taste with chilli crisp, sriracha, or chilli sauce.
- Crispy fried shallots add a delightful crunch and savory bite, but can be omitted to reduce oil content.
