light or brothy | Chinese Soup Pot

West Lake Beef Soup – Gratifying and Flavorsome

Sep 032012

Besides the Hot and Sour Soup, the West Lake Beef Soup (西湖牛肉羹) is probably the next most common soup found in Chinese restaurants in the US. Although the ingredients for this soup are simple, the West Lake Beef Soup is both gratifying and flavorsome – with a rich, mellow taste and a silky smooth mouth feel. The West Lake Beef Soup is a popular local dish of the mountainous ZheJiang (浙江) Chinese province, where the famous West Lake is located. One secret to making a soft, smooth West Lake Beef Soup is [Read More...]

Purple Sweet Potato Dumpling (Tang Yuan)

18 Responses »

Jan 192012

Purple Sweet Potato Dumpling (Tang Yuan)

Sweet rice dumplings, or Tang Yuan, is a traditional Chinese sweet dessert that is similar to the Japanese mochi in appearance. Like mochi, Tang Yuan is made out of glutinous rice flour and water to form a smooth al-dente dough which is rolled into round balls. While mochi is typically served dry, Tang Yuan is always served moist with a sweet gingery syrup. Tang Yuan is also never filled with ice cream like some versions of mochi. Instead, Tang Yuan is typically filled with a sweet delectable [Read More ...]

Double Steamed Asian Pear Almond Dessert Soup

11 Responses »

Jan 092012

Double Steamed Asian Pear Almond Dessert Soup

This is a delicious classic double steamed Chinese dessert I love. It has a delicate sweetness that is lightly contrasted with a smooth gingery zing that sits over a lovely mellow tone of almond fragrance and fresh pears. This dessert is good year round but especially suitable for the cold dry autumn and winter seasons. This dessert soup nourishes and moisturizes the lungs and skin. It helps to quench thirst and expel phlegm. This dessert can be [Read More...]

Longan and Dried Figs Pork Soup

8 Responses »

Nov 282011

For those who celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you had a warm and wonderful holiday weekend! I enjoyed my time off with my husband eating and relaxing. We also took a day hike at Mountain Diablo. From the top of the summit there, at about 3,900 ft above sea level, we can see all the way to the [Read More...]

Burdock Daikon Carrot Pork Soup

6 Responses »

Oct 182011

It has been a while since I last made a soup with Burdock Root, 牛蒡 (also called Gobo or just Burdock). While this root is literally the foundation for a common weed that some find pesky, burdock root is known in several Asian food cultures to have cancer fighting abilities and health benefits. Europeans have also used this [Read More...]

Pumpkin Carrot and Corn Pork Soup

9 Responses »

Sep 282011

If you like Japanese kabocha pumpkin like I do, this is the best time of the year to enjoy them. Although kabocha pumpkins are available year-round, they are at their best now in the late summer / early fall season. When picking a kabocha pumpkin, look for ones with a dark green skin and a dry corky [Read More...]

Radish Daikon and Carrot Pork Soup

6 Responses »

Aug 262011

This is a classic soup I grew up with. It is in fact a soup that my mother still makes routinely from time to time throughout the year. In the fall and winter months though, this soup would be found in my mother’s soup pot more frequently, as those would be the months when the radish [Read More...]

Ginseng Quail Soup

2 Responses »

Aug 092011

Although the name of this Chinese soup sounds fancy and exotic, it is actually really REALLY easy to make. And it taste so good that it will excite your family and friends. They’ll also think you slaved away in the kitchen for hours when in fact, all of the ingredients for this soup require little or no [Read More...]

Winter Melon Lotus Seed Barley Shrimp Soup

1 Response »

Aug 052011

Winter Melon Lotus Seed Barley Shrimp Soup

This is a simple Chinese soup recipe that will help you keep your cool, literally! Winter melon soups are a must have on hot stuffy summer days to help the body stay cool and clear heat. There are a few variations to the Chinese winter melon soup. In my recipe, I make use of several common Asian [Read More...]

Fuzzy Melon Salted Egg Drop Pork Soup

2 Responses »

Aug 022011

For those with a busy lifestyle, here is another simple 35-minute recipe that is kid-friendly, gluten-free, low-calorie, and low-sodium. This light and healthy soup is like a traditional Egg Drop Soup, but uses salted eggs and Fuzzy Melon (also called “Mo Qua” or Hairy Gourd). The soup’s cooling effect helps to release heat due to Yin-imbalance.

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