Vegan Chinese Rice Soup
There are few things better than soup on a cold day; coming in from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and chucking some Campbell’s on the stove. This Vegan Chinese Rice Soup ticks all the boxes. It’s a soul-warming, vegetable-packed, tasty, easy, and delicious way to transition from the grey skies of winter to the cozy, fireplaced evening to come.
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Introduction
Do something for me. Close your eyes and think back to your childhood; of being woken up to find out that there was no school today - it’s a snowday. You call your friends up, hit the streets, and find your way over to their houses, toboggan in hand and snowball in the other. Fast forward 4 or 5 hours - you’re starving, out of breath, and your fingers are about to fall off when your friend’s mum calls out that lunch is ready. You bolt as fast as your snowpant-ed legs will allow, run inside, and there, on the table, sits a piping hot bowl of soup and some bread.
Recreate that feeling. Right now. With this recipe. Your childhood tastes have evolved and while Campbell’s still hits the spot every once in a while, you want to explore. Take the best parts of Chinese takeout, the best part of rice soup, and combine them together into a beautiful fusion of soul-warming, liquid gold that this belly-hug of a meal is.
The secret to this recipe is to let the flavours in the broth get to know each other by letting them simmer away for a bit. Don’t add too much rice. What may seem like a tiny amount will triple in size when it cooks. Add lots of seasoning - lots. Remember, this is a good amount of liquid. You’re not adding the amount of salt you are to one dish, it’s for seven servings - so don’t be afraid to be heavy-handed with the salt until it tastes right.
Check out the Spruce it Up section for ideas on how to take this recipe to the next level.
Before We Get Started
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Total Time: 35 Minutes
Servings: 7 Bowls
Ingredients
1L Vegetable Broth
Must be broth, not stock.
3 cups Water
4 Garlic cloves
Small Piece of Ginger
1/2 Thumb-Sized Piece
1/2 Yellow Onion, medium
1/3 Soy Sauce
1 tbsp. Rice Vinegar
1 tbsp. Sesame Oil
250g Mushrooms
Of your choice.
3/4 cup White Rice
3 Green Onions
1 Carrot
Head of Broccoli
Bok Choi
Method
Using a knife, place the blade of your knife on top of the garlic clove and tap to smash it. Cut your piece of ginger into three pieces. Roughly chop your onion.
The garlic doesn’t need to be in pieces or cut up, just opened slightly to release its flavours.
Combine your broth, water, garlic, ginger, onion, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil into a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and allow to cook for 10 minutes.
While your broth is simmering away, pot a pan on over medium heat with oil. Place your mushrooms face down in the pan, and sprinkle with salt. Allow them to cook on their heads until golden brown, then flip them over so that the stems are touching the pan. Continue to cook until they’re golden brown and fragrant.
Measure out 3/4 cup of white rice and place into a sieve. Rinse with water. Once the broth has simmered for 10 minutes, add the rice to the pot, bring it back up to the boil, reduce to a simmer again, then cook for another 12 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom.
Slice up your carrots, green onion, and bok choi. Cut your head of broccoli into small florets. Once the rice has been cooking for 12 minutes, toss in your cooked mushrooms, and broccoli.
If your mushrooms are a bit big, cut them into halves or thirds.
Allow them to cook for another couple of minutes, then taste for seasoning. It will likely be very underseasoned. Grab a few big pinches of salt and add them to the pot, give it a stir, and taste again. Continue to add salt until it tastes amazing.
While it may seem like a lot of salt - remember, you are adding the seasoning for 7 portions.
This taste and season method is how it’s done in restaurants! Do it with every recipe you make and you’ll see a huge improvement in the taste of your dinners.
Scour through the soup for the garlic and ginger pieces, and use a spoon to scoop them out.
Ladle your soup into bowls, and add your bok choi, carrots, and green onion.
Enjoy.
Spruce it Up
Add some sesame seeds for a great additional flavour.
Like spice? Chop up some red chilis and add them into your broth.
Crispy shallots, tofu, and tempeh are awesome ways to take this recipe to the next level.