Description
This quick and low-calorie Chinese Vegetable Soup is a flavorful and healthy broth infused with garlic, ginger, star anise, and a combination of fresh vegetables like Chinese broccoli, carrots, and enoki mushrooms. Ready in just 15 minutes, it’s a perfect light meal or appetizer that delivers comforting warmth and vibrant Asian flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Broth Ingredients
- 1 litre / 4 cups low sodium chicken stock/broth
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
- 1.5 cm / 1/2″ ginger piece, 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)
- 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 and separated
- 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/leaves, lightly packed (or Thai basil, mint, chives)
- 1 green onion, green part only, finely sliced
- 2 tbsp crispy fried shallots (store bought)
- Chilli crisp, chilli sauce or sriracha (optional)
- Other optional garnishes: sesame seeds, sliced chilli, Thai basil
Instructions
- Infuse the broth: Place all broth ingredients—chicken stock, garlic cloves, ginger slices, star anise, soy sauce, sugar, Chinese cooking wine, and toasted sesame oil—in a large saucepan. Cover with a lid and bring to a gentle simmer over high heat. Once simmering, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and let it gently simmer for 10 minutes to fully infuse all the aromatic flavors.
- Cook the vegetables: Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables by slicing the Chinese broccoli stems and leaves separately and finely slicing the carrot. After the broth has infused, increase the heat back to high to bring the liquid to a rapid simmer. Add the carrot slices, Chinese broccoli stems, and enoki mushrooms to the broth. Cook these for 3 minutes until slightly tender. Then add the Chinese broccoli leaves, gently stir them in, and simmer for an additional 2 minutes until the leaves wilt.
- Serve the soup: Remove and discard the garlic cloves and ginger slices from the broth. Divide the soup evenly between two bowls. Top each bowl with a generous mound of fresh coriander or your choice of herbs, a sprinkling of finely sliced green onions, and a handful of crispy fried shallots. Add a dollop of chili crisp, chili sauce, or sriracha on top to taste. Optionally, garnish with sesame seeds, sliced chili, or Thai basil for extra flavor before serving.
Notes
- Use low sodium chicken stock to control the saltiness of the soup.
- Light soy sauce works well for a balanced flavor, but all-purpose soy sauce can be substituted.
- Chinese cooking wine adds depth; if unavailable, dry sherry can be used as an alternative.
- To prepare Chinese broccoli or bok choy, slice stems separately from leaves as they cook at different rates.
- Enoki mushrooms resemble delicate noodles and add a pleasant texture.
- To keep the soup vegetarian, substitute chicken stock with vegetable broth and omit cooking wine or use a vegetarian version.
- Adjust chili condiments according to your spice preference.
- This soup is best eaten immediately for optimal freshness and texture.
