Quick Answer
Wondering how to make Chinese soup? Most traditional Chinese soups are made from a mixture of veggies, fish, meats, and fresh herbs. Most Chinese soups are slow-cooked, and although you can create thin soups, many Chinese soups are thickened with cornstarch or cornflour to give them a bulkier, more filling texture.
However, as you’ll know, not all Chinese soups are made equal. With so many ingredients and cooking methods to choose from, you can create almost any type of soup you want. Many Chinese soups are also suitable for vegetarians.
China is home to some of the most influential dishes in the world. Standing in a league of their own are Chinese soup recipes, which are bursting with diverse ingredients from tender pork to fish, and cabbage to apples.
Like all other soups, Chinese soups can be thick or thin, nutritious, or a little on the guilty-pleasure side.
Whether you’re seeking out a wholesome winter warmer, or a soother summer cleanser, stick with us to explore these 33 Chinese soup recipes.
1. Chicken Corn Egg Drop Soup
Egg group soups are a staple in China, and this chicken corn egg drop soup is one you’ll DEFINITELY want in your recipe soup.
This chicken corn egg drop soup is the ultimate winter comfort dish. When the days get shorter and the cold air rolls in, snuggle up with this Cantonese favorite and get a well-deserved dash of sweetness and protein in the process!
This soup is a staple in most Chinese restaurants, and it’s made with a delicious blend of chicken, oyster sauce, scallion, egg whites, corn, and plenty of your favorite herbs and spices, including cilantro and white pepper.
Marinate your succulent chicken in a heavenly mix of cornstarch, water, and oyster sauce, and get to work boiling your chicken stock, corn, and turmeric.
Keep mixing your ingredients, load in your chicken and egg whites, and the end result will astound you.
This soup is bursting with flavor and nutrition. At only 182kcal per serving, it’s also a must-try if you’re watching your waistline. It’s thick, tasty, and loaded with flavor – what more could you ask for?
2. Chinese Vegetable Soup
Who doesn’t love vegetable soup? This iconic dish is a staple for the winter months, and now, you can put a Chinese spin on it with this timeless Chinese vegetable soup recipe.
Ditch the canned soup and get yourself in the kitchen because this healthy, tasty comforter will do you better than ANY pre-prepared soup!
This Chinese vegetable soup recipe makes the most of some of the most delicious veggies on the planet, including plenty of mushrooms, carrots, and of course, a healthy splash of bok choy for that Chinese twist.
Simply chop and boil your veg, load in your soy sauce, leave it to boil, and you’re done! Simple, tasty, and super healthy, this is one soup to add to your weekly rotation.
3. Chinese Watercress Soup
Is there a more iconic Chinese soup than watercress soup?
This simple, light, nutritious recipe is homely, welcoming, and warm and can be eaten throughout the year.
What’s more, if you’re looking for something that’s simple to make but that tastes sensationally complex every time… this is for you!
This soup only uses a few ingredients, including shiitake mushrooms, watercress, carrots, and dried honey dates. Don’t forget your chicken or pork stork, chicken bouillon powder, and Chinese red dates, too!
This dish is so simple to prepare it’ll astound you. Simply boil your stock and powder, throw in your veggies, add in your watercress, simmer, and voila!
If you want to make this super filling dish even more filling, serve it with some leftover rice for a tasty, nutritious meal the whole family can enjoy.
4. Chinese Pear Dessert Soup
Okay, now it’s time for something a little different.
In China, dessert soups (also called Tong Sui) are any sweet or warm soup that can be eaten at the end of traditional Cantonese cuisine. Some dessert soups are even served with custard!
So, if you’re all up for trying a Chinese soup but you want something that’s a little on the sweet side, this one’s for you. Let’s talk about all things pear dessert soup.
This recipe is super sweet, super delicious, and loaded with texture. If you’ve never tried a Chinese dessert soup before, this is a surefire way to kick your experience off with a bang.
This slow simmer soup features plenty of fragrant pears, pork ribs, figs, honey dates, red dates, apricot kernels, dried figs, snow fungus, and water.
Simply soak your white fungus, blanch your pork ribs, leave the rest of your ingredients to boil, and you’re done.
Just be sure to cook this in a large soup pot – this recipe makes a pretty big batch, and you’ll have plenty to go around!
5. Fish Tofu Soup
If dessert soups aren’t piquing your interest, let’s return to something a little more traditional with this fish tofu soup.
If you’re a fish lover, this combination elevates its flavor and texture to completely new heights. Plus, if you’re already a lover of tofu soup, we can promise you won’t be disappointed with this dish!
Though it may sound a little basic, this soup is loaded with flavor and texture from its mushrooms, ginger, red chilies, wine, soy sauce, soybean sprouts, and many other super tasty additions.
This recipe is also easy to make – you won’t need to pan-fry or gut your fish, which saves you a bit of leg work and prevents your kitchen from smelling like a fish market.
Simply marinate your fish, heap up your mushrooms and spices, throw in your tofu and cabbage, add in the fish, boil, and it’s done!
For a little extra something, throw on plenty of cilantro or scallion to serve. Nutritious, simple, and fun to make, this soup is destined to be a crowd pleaser.
6. Yunnan Rice Noodle Soup
Next up, we have one of our personal favorites – Yunnan rice noodle soup. This is an incredibly popular dish throughout China, and you’ll find it featured on many Chinese restaurant menus.
If you want to try making it yourself, you’re in luck!
This Yunnan rice noodle soup recipe is truly one of a kind. Minced pork, pickled cabbage, noodles, and plenty of spices take center stage in this recipe.
Soak your dried rice noodles overnight, prepare your chives, tomatoes, and pickled mustard greens, cook up your minced pork and garlic, throw in the veg, boil, and you’re done. The end result is like something out of a fairy tale.
Although this may take a little longer to prep than some of our other recipes, it’s worth every extra minute spent in the kitchen. Meaty, aromatic, and deliciously filling, there’s so much to love about Yunnan rice noodle soup.
7. Chinese Cabbage And Ginger Soup
Now it’s time for another iconic Chinese soup dish, with this Chinese cabbage and ginger soup.
This iconic Cantonese dish is easy to prepare (even for the most inexperienced of cooks), and it feels so warm and healing, making it the ultimate comfort soup.
This delicious soup takes just 35 minutes to prepare and cooks up enough for two people. There are 3 very simple baseline ingredients for this soup – chicken stock, cabbage, and fresh ginger root.
While you can certainly cook these and eat them as it is, you may find yourself needing a little more flavor.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with different herbs and spices, and of course, throwing in a little soy sauce is never a bad idea!
This is tasty, versatile, and SO simple – even the most inexperienced cooks can still whip up a storm.
8. Wonton Soup
Even if you’ve never tried Chinese soup, you’ll probably have heard all about wonton soup.
This delicious, homemade dish is loaded with plenty of succulent pork and prawn or shrimp for a meaty, flavorsome dish your whole family will love.
Your wonton is filled with delicious pork mind and prawns, ginger, shallows, soy sauce, wine, salt, and sesame oil.
Many people are deterred from making wontons (they can take a while to prepare). However, these ones shouldn’t take you more than 10 minutes!
For the broth, expect plenty of garlic, ginger, chicken broth, soy sauce, sugar, wine, and oil. Of course, a little bok choy and shallots can be thrown on top to serve!
Although you can eat this hearty, wholesome soup all year round, we think it’s perfect for those colder months. This is also a great standby meal that can be frozen and heated up quickly for another day!
9. Chinese Chicken And Mushroom Soup
There’s just something about chicken and mushrooms, isn’t there? Now, you can put a spin on this timeless pairing with this hearty Chinese chicken and mushroom soup.
It’s always the right time to nourish your body with healthy, wholesome foods, but if you’re feeling a little under the weather, this recipe is sure to hit the spot.
This Chinese chicken and mushroom soup is delightful.
It features plenty of delicious, nutritious ingredients, including your chicken and mushroom (of course), and plenty of dates, goji berries, mushrooms, ginger, wine, and scallion.
This can be ready to eat in just an hour and a half, and it’s bursting with nutrients and flavor – go on, treat yourself!
10. Ginger Garlic Noodle Soup With Bok Choy
Next up, we have another one of our personal favorites – ginger garlic noodle soup with bok choy. Wow.
This soup is truly out of this world, and if you need another standby recipe for when you’re feeling under the weather, this is one to add to the recipe book! Tasty, comforting, nutritious – need we say more?
Some of the key ingredients in this soup include garlic, ginger, anise, soy sauce, mushrooms, rice noodles, sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, and chicken broth. It’s incredibly easy to make, too, and can be whipped up in just 20 minutes!
This delightful recipe works well as a lunch or main, and with such a simple recipe card to follow, there’s no excuse not to add this ginger garlic noodle soup with bok choy to your recipe arsenal.
11. Spinach Soup With Tofu
Let’s take a look at another iconic tofu soup recipe with this spinach soup with tofu. This super healthy, low-cal soup is one of our all-time favorites, and we’re sure you’ll love it!
This spinach soup with tofu only uses a few main ingredients, including mushrooms, chicken broth, spinach, tofu, and of course, plenty of herbs and spices.
The rice wine, garlic, and chili paste really bring this soup to life – expect a hearty warmer with a bit of a spicy kick.
This iconic soup will take you just shy of an hour to prep and cook, and if you’re looking for a post-workout comfort dish, this one’s for you – with 17g of protein per serving, you’ll be feeling fired up and ready to face the day in no time!
12. Mushroom Noodle Soup
In case you haven’t noticed, mushrooms are a staple in most Chinese soups. With so many mushrooms to choose from, you’ll never struggle to find the tastiest one for your recipe.
In this mushroom noodle soup, mushrooms take center stage to create a warming, earthy, and texture-loaded soup that the whole family will love.
Loaded with coconut milk, ramen noodles, miso paste, green onion, and baby bok choy, this savory, creamy recipe will become a staple in no time!
Although it uses quite a few ingredients, this soup won’t require hours of slaving away on the stove, and it can be prepped and ready to eat in just 30 minutes! Pretty awesome, right?
Colorful, flavorsome, and loaded with nutrients, get ready for an unforgettable taste adventure with this modest mushroom noodle soup.
13. Walnut Sweet Corn Carrot Pork Soup
Next up is another delicious, unique Chinese soup recipe that’s perfect for curious palettes.
This walnut sweet corn carrot pork soup boasts a simple yet heavenly combination of ingredients, including red dates, goji berries, pork ribs, carrots, sweet corn, walnuts, scallops, and salt.
This intriguing blend of flavors merges together to create a sweet and savory soup with plenty of texture and nutrients; boil it slowly for around two hours on high heat for a slightly thick soup.
Although it takes a while to cook, this recipe is super simple to prepare, so you can create something hearty and filling with minimal effort that’s sure to blow away your whole family!
Hungry? Not for long – this walnut sweet corn carrot pork soup hits all the right spots.
14. Chinese Winter Melon Soup
Have you ever tried melon soup? If not, it might be time to step out of your comfort zone and immerse yourself in a flavor-filled sensory experience with this Chinese winter melon soup.
As you probably already guessed, melon is the primary ingredient in this super-sweet soup, and it can be ready to devour in just 50 minutes.
This soup is light and refreshing and boasts a wonderfully soft texture when cooked – we love it, and we know you will too!
Although the melon takes center stage, it’s balanced out with a collection of ginger, salt, mushrooms, chicken stock, green onion, ham, and pepper.
There’s just something about a fruit and meat pairing, and in this soup, it perfectly complements those complex flavors and textures and puts a zesty spin on a traditional meat soup.
If you’re looking for your next food obsession, this could be it!
15. Dried Vegetable Soup
Next up, we have this delightful dried vegetable soup. It may sound a little basic, but there’s nothing bland about its flavor.
This dried vegetable soup uses traditional Chinese ingredients for that authentic taste experience. If the only image you can muster up is of dried potatoes and carrots, let’s put your mind to rest…
This soup is loaded with delicious flavors, including shiitake mushrooms, honey dates, red dates, bok choy, chicken stock, and salt. So no, this isn’t your traditional veggie soup!
Each ingredient brings its own unique spin to this soup, and when they’re blended together, you’re presented with a hearty, flavorsome soup that’s to die for.
Although it’ll take you a LONG time to prepare (7 hours), it creates a massive ten servings, each coming in at just 119kcal per portion.
So, put in the effort in the kitchen, and you’ll have plenty of freezable batches to save for a rainy day!
16. Lotus Roots With Peanut And Chicken Soup
If you’re after something a little more exotic, look no further. This lotus roots with peanut and chicken soup is the answer to all of your prayers.
Now, it may sound a little complex, but don’t be deterred – this soup takes just 5 minutes to prep and 15 minutes to cook, so you have no excuse not to give it a go!
If you’re ready for something homely and curiously refreshing, immerse yourself in the flavors of lotus root, red onion, red dates, chicken, carrots, and peanuts.
This soup relies on just a few simple ingredients, and the end result is perfect every time.
Not only is this simple to prepare, but it’s also loaded with nutrients – so, if you’re feeling a little under the weather, put a spin on your traditional chicken soup with this wholesome lotus roots with peanut and chicken soup!
17. Mustard Green Chicken Soup Recipe
This soup tastes just as good as it looks, and we’re so excited to introduce it to you.
This mustard green chicken soup recipe will take you just under two hours to cook, but with only ten minutes of prepping required, it’s a pretty low-maintenance meal that even the most inexperienced Chinese soup makers can try their hand at.
This soup is so great for your health. It’s loaded with vitamins and minerals, and although it’s traditionally eaten to celebrate the New Year, you can dive in anytime!
This soup features just a few simple ingredients, including chicken, mustard greens, ginger root, white pepper, salt, and water. This dish just goes to show that meals don’t always have to be complex to be delicious!
18. Seaweed Egg Drop Soup
If you’re looking for more iconic egg drop recipes, let’s take a look at this gorgeous seaweed egg drop soup.
This soup is everything you could possibly want from a traditional Chinese dish – it’s healthy, quick to make, and loaded with flavor.
When we say it’s quick to make, we’re not joking – this can be ready in just 15 minutes, making it the perfect go-to soup for rainy weekdays!
You’ll only need a few ingredients to create this incredible soup, including eggs, dried seaweed, chicken stock, water, sesame oil, scallion, and shrimp flakes (if desired).
Simply toast your seaweed, add your chicken stock, oil, and flavorings, stir in your beaten eggs and scallions, and get ready to serve up this delicious, nutritious dish to your friends or family.
Oh, did we mention it’s only 77kcal per portion, too? Winner!
19. Tong Shui (Dessert Soup)
If you were looking for more dessert soup recipes, you’ve come to the right place. We’re here to feed your curiosity (literally) with another one of our favorite dessert soup recipes.
This snow fungus dessert soup is quirky, sweet, and light, making it the perfect dish to round off any meat or protein-heavy meal with.
Snow fungus is a common ingredient in most Chinese soups, and although you might struggle to find it in your usual grocery store, most Asian grocery stores are well stocked with this Chinese delicacy.
To create this soup, you’ll only need a handful of ingredients, including rock sugar, dried longan, red dates, water, and dried snow fungus.
If you want to add a little more flavor to your soup, throw in a generous helping of lotus seeds or goji berries for good measure!
In just a few simple steps, this soup can be prepared and cooked in just 30 minutes. Simple, delicious, and curiously sweet, we know you’ll love it.
20. Swallows Nest Soup
This unusually named soup is incredibly popular in China, and if you’ve never tried it for yourself, we’re here to show you just how easy it can be to prepare it at home.
(Despite what the name suggests, rest assured: no swallows were harmed in the making of this soup). However, it does use a real bird’s nest – yes, really!
Although this soup will take you just five minutes to prepare, it requires around two and a half hours to cook and eight hours of soaking time, so you’ll need to plan ahead.
This sweet and delicate soup is best saved for special occasions. Authentic bird nests can be challenging to source, and as expected, they come with a pretty heavy price tag.
However, with just three ingredients (your nest, water, and rock sugar), you can recreate this edible Chinese delicacy and immerse yourself in culture and flavor.
21. Soup Dumplings
Okay, if you’re getting a little bored of soup, why not put an interesting spin on traditional soups with these delicious soup dumplings?
These soup dumplings are simply paper-thin wrappers packed with seasoned pork and hot soup. They’re absolutely gorgeous.
Now, if you’re not confident in the kitchen, you might want to skip this recipe. Although it takes just 30 minutes to cook, you’re going to need a whole day to prepare your ingredients – so, save this for a special occasion!
Loaded with flavors like ginger, scallion, wine, pork, sugar, sesame, soy sauce, and MORE ginger, these soup dumplings are the perfect balance of light and heavy, and meaty and sweet.
22. Hot And Sour Soup
Hot and sour soup is one of the most popular Chinese soup recipes in the world, and we’re here to show you just how easy it is to prepare.
As you’d probably guessed from the name, this soup is a little hot, and a little sour. It’s a curious blend, and it’s very similar to egg drop soup.
However, it contains a few different ingredients, with meat and veg being the main substitutes for the egg.
Ready in just over an hour, this soup features plenty of bamboo shoots, pork, ginger, red chile paste, tofu eggs, green onions, and more. It’s simple, delicious, and loaded with nutrients – in other words, the perfect meal!
23. Chinese Coconut Pork Soup
We just LOVE pork-based soups. Pork is a primary ingredient in many Chinese soups, and in this recipe, it’s beautifully balanced with coconut flavoring to create a unique, tasty dish.
This soup is slightly sweet, slightly nutty, and gloriously meaty. It takes 10 minutes to prepare but a massive 5 hours to cook – so make sure you set aside plenty of time for this one!
This soup features a host of tasty ingredients, including pork, ginger, green onions, peas, broccoli, radish, sweet potato, coconut milk, taro root, and salt to taste.
This beautifully savory dish will satisfy every craving, all at once.
24. Black Herbal Chicken Soup
Next up, we have this iconic black herbal chicken soup.
This soup can be ready in around two hours, and despite its moody coloring, it’s beautifully fragrant and flavorsome. Sweet, healthy, and intriguing for the senses, this is one Chinese soup you NEED to try.
To create this recipe, you’ll need some black chicken, ginger, water, salt, dates, berries, and a whole host of traditional Chinese ingredients, including fu ling, sha shen, and huai shan.
This is one recipe you won’t be forgetting in a hurry!
25. Ginger And Spring Onion Egg Drop Soup
Yes, it’s time for another egg group soup recipe again!
This ginger and spring onion egg drop soup is delightful, and if you’re after a recipe that’s a little easier for unaccustomed palettes to dive into, this is a great place to start.
This egg drop soup is ready in 20 minutes and uses just a few simple ingredients, including zucchini, spring onion, egg, ginger, coconut, pepper, salt, fish sauce, and chili flakes.
This gentle introduction to Chinese soup is great for the whole family. It’s so tasty, you’ll forget you’re eating something healthy!
26. Pork And Vegetables Chinese Soup
If you like the sound of your last vegetable soup, you’ll love this pork and vegetable Chinese soup.
This particular recipe is a one-pan wonder, and it’ll only take you around 90 minutes to prepare. Simply throw in your carrots, potatoes, celery, pork chop steaks, and water, and you’re done!
Super hearty and super tasty, this is the perfect winter warmer or comfort dish.
27. Red Bean Soup
Next up, we have this delightful red bean soup.
Although this sweet and simple soup is pretty easy to cook and prepare, it’ll require around 12 hours to soak your azuki beans, so don’t try and make this in a hurry!
However, it’s worth every bit of prep time. Tasty, hearty, and low cal, this red bean soup is everything a good meal should be.
It also comes in at just 92 calories per serving, making it the perfect meal for anyone watching their waistline!
Expect plenty of adzuki beans, tangerine, and lotus seeds in this beautiful concoction.
28. Sweet Potato And Ginger Dessert Soup
Now, let’s look at another dessert soup recipe with this sweet potato and ginger dessert recipe.
Loaded with warm spices and creamy veggies, simply peel, boil, and simmer for a sweet, savory, and super healthy soup.
Plus, you’ll only need to use sweet potato, ginger, brown sugar, and water – super simple and perfect for those on a budget!
29. Shrimp Stuffed Tofu Soup
This shrimp stuffed tofu soup is packed with plenty of tasty ingredients, including garlic,
sesame oil, chicken, ginger, onion, bok choy, wine, and more.
Although this recipe uses a lot more ingredients than our other recipes, it’ll still take you only 30 minutes to create!
So, if you’re in a rush on the weeknights and you need something to power you through the evening, this shrimp-stuffed tofu soup is exactly what you need.
30. Chinese Cucumber Soup
Cool, refreshing, and ready in 20 minutes – what more could you want from a soup? This soup requires only eight tasty ingredients, including mushrooms, wine, scallions, ginger powder, and of course, cucumbers.
Low in sodium, low in calories, and equally warm and cooling, this soup is perfect for those on a diet or anyone simply looking for something a little different to shake up their weekday meals with.
31. Beef Dumplings In Hot And Sour Soup
We love a good dumpling recipe, and these beef dumplings in hot and sour soup hit the spot every time.
Loaded with succulent beef, Chinese chives, scallions, ginger, pepper, wine, and more, this soup is the ultimate comfort meal – and it’ll take you no more than an hour and a half to create.
Warning: this recipe is incredibly addictive, so feel free to cook a little extra and freeze some for a rainy day!
32. Lotus Root And Pork Soup
Lotus root is another popular addition to many Chinese soups, and this lotus root and pork soup recipe proves, once again, just how delicious it can be.
Let’s not forget the nutritional benefits of the lotus root, either: loaded with vitamin c, iron, thiamine, and more, this is one ingredient you won’t want to skimp on!
To create this hearty soup, all you’ll need is a few hours to cook and prep and plenty of pork ribs, lotus root, peanuts, carrots, scallops, dates, and water. Chop, simmer, boil, and it’s all yours.
33. Chinese Dried Fig, Apple, And Almond Soup
Last but not least, we have this dried fig, apple, and almond soup.
This soup is the ultimate hearty, sweet recipe for those cooler fall evenings. Snuggle up under the duvet, and tuck into this beautifully seasonal dish.
Packed full of apples, pork, almonds, and figs, and although it’ll take just over 3 hours to be ready, it’s super easy to prep, so most of the cooking time will be a breeze!
We can’t think of anything better to tuck into after a long, cold day!
33 Chinese Soup Recipes: Quick Table
| Recipe | Calories | Preparation Time |
| Chicken Corn Egg Drop Soup | 182kcal | 25 Minutes |
| Chinese Vegetable Soup | 106kcal | 20 Minutes |
| Chinese Watercress Soup | 89kcal (Estimate) | 3hr 50 Minutes |
| Chinese Pear Dessert Soup | 51kcal | 1hr 45 Minutes |
| Fish Tofu Soup | 310kcal | 35 Minutes |
| Yunnan Rice Noodle Soup | 397kcal | 4hr 15 Minutes |
| Chinese Cabbage and Ginger Soup | 128kcal | 35 Minutes |
| Wonton Soup | 350kcal | 35 Minutes |
| Chinese Chicken and Mushroom Soup | 273kcal | 1hr 30 Minutes |
| Ginger Garlic Noodle Soup with Bok Choy | 647kcal | 20 Minutes |
Final Thoughts
If you want to break away from your standard vegetable soup, try something a little different with these 33 Chinese soup recipes. Delicious, nutritious, sweet or savory, there’s something for every palette!
33 Chinese Soup Recipes (Learn How To Make Chinese Soups)
Ingredients
Directions
- Pick a recipe from the list above
- Click the recipe name and visit the website
- Collect the ingredients and cook the food
- Enjoy – don’t forget to leave a review
Through this blog I hope to help others learn the basics and more intricate details of cooking. I know from personal experience how frustrating it can be to cook a meal, only to realize you are missing one ingredient from your list. This is why I love to write articles chatting readers through some great substitutes that can be used in an emergency.
I hope you will find this blog useful, and that it will help you to develop your culinary skills, to help you cook up a storm!
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Lirigzon Gashi
Saturday 13th of July 2024
Lirigzon Gashi
Mois Pasta
Tuesday 29th of November 2022
A very good article. Congratulations