Authentic Chinese Chicken Soups: Bok Choy Chicken Soup, Chicken & Spinach Soup, & Chinese Cabbage Soup

     I first started making Chinese chicken soup in September 2009 when we got our first International students from Taiwan and Hong Kong. They told me it is common to have soup at every meal, and so to make them feel more at home, I started to make one of these soups each week, and the pot would last for 2 or 3 days.



 Many of our students have told me it makes them feel like they're back home.  I have tweaked this recipe with the help of my students , but the basic recipe I got from About Chinese Food. This soup is absolutely delicious! 

 

Making Chinese Chicken Stock

 

Basics about preparing the chicken for stock: This is the base for all the soups below.  I like to buy a whole range free chicken or organic chicken.
(1)   I usually cut the breasts off the backbone with kitchen shears, cut the legs and thigh pieces off and the wings for other meals. 
(2)  Then I cut off all the fat. 
(3)   I usually use the chicken breasts for a stir fry or curry recipe and freeze the other pieces or put them in the frig if I can use them in 2 days. 
Note: f you want this to be a main dish soup, just leave the whole chicken in the pot!
  I've made one basic change to preparing the stock.  I've heard this from two Chinese friends that  it’s important to just put the chicken backbone into a pot with enough cold water to cover, and then bring that water to a boil for a few minutes and then drain it off.  Then transfer the bones to a stock pot or large soup pot and add about 10-12 cups of water for preparing the stock.
 

1.  Prepare the chicken:  
(1)  Cut off the legs/thighs/wings as noted above.  Cut the breast meat off the bone.
(2)  Put the back and breast bone into a pot with cold water to cover.  Bring to a boil, skim off all the foam. Let cook for 3-5 minutes.  Drain.
(3)  Put in 10-12 cups of fresh water.

2.  To this pot add the following: 

(1)  Add 1 tablespoon of minced ginger.
(2)  2-4 green onions cut in 1/2" pieces
(3) 2 T rice wine or sherry.
(4)  Bring the stock to a boil over medium heat, occasionally skimming off the foam that rises to the top.
(5)  Add 1 T salt (or to taste) and 1/2-1 tsp. black pepper if desired.
(6)  Cover and reduce the heat and simmer for at least 2 hours.  I think what makes the soup is simmering it for 4+ hours.
(7)  During the last 30 minutes you can also add a pack of thin rice noodles.

Use as called for in the recipes below.  

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Bok Choy Chicken Soup

To the pot of chicken stock add:   4-5 T tamari/soy sauce,  1 ½-2  T sesame oil,  3 cloves of minced garlic, 1 t red pepper flakes (these are spicy—so you may want to try ½ t first).  

During the last half hour add 5-6 bok choy leaves leaves finely chopped.  Adjust any seasonings. 

  Chicken & Spinach Soup

To the pot of 12 cups of chicken stock add:   3 T Chinese rice wine (mirin)/dry sherry, 2 1/2 t sugar, and 1 T sesame oil (Note that this recipe is for 12 cups of stock!)

Add vegetables:
(1)  Rinse off 1 pound of fresh spinach leaves and add to the soup.  
 (2)  Stir in  3-5 T gluten free tamari/soy sauce, 1 slice of ginger, and ½ t more of sugar.
(3) Taste and adjust any of the seasonings.

Chinese Cabbage Soup

To the pot of chicken stock add:  5 T gluten free tamari/soy sauce,  ½-1 t black pepper, 1-2 T sesame oil, and 4to 5 cups of sliced Chinese cabbage.   Cook only 3 to 4 minutes or until cabbage is crisp and tender. (Do not overcook.) Lettuce can be used for cabbage, reduce time to 1 minute.  Adjust any seasonings. 

Blog Update July 18, 2014:   I always taste it and tweak it from there to see if it needs a little bit more tamari, sesame oil, or salt.

Other Chinese recipes on this blog:

Note about Internet recipes:  For the past 5 years we've hosted international students. Whenever I've made something, they have tasted it, and given me recommendations to make it taste more authentic.  Most of these Internet recipes have been tweaked by their suggestions.

BEEF RECIPES:
Delicious Gluten Free Beef Broccoli Stir Fry  (Modification of Internet recipe)
The Best Gluten Free Mongolian Beef Stir Fry  (Modification of Internet recipe)
Gluten Free Ginger Beef Stir Fry (Modification of Internet recipe)

CHICKEN RECIPES:
Gluten Free Chinese Almond Chicken Stir Fry   (Modification of Internet recipe)
Amazing Gluten Free Chinese Cashew Chicken Stir Fry   (Modification of Internet recipe)
Gluten Free Garlic Chicken Stir Fry  (Modification of Internet recipe)
Gluten Free Chinese - Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry  (Modification of Internet recipe)
Gluten Free Chinese - Spicy Kung Pao Chicken Stir Fry  (Modification of Internet recipe)
Gluten Free Chinese - Authentic Chinese BBQ Chicken  (From my Bible Study friend Rose)
Rose's Chinese Yellow Curry with Chicken & Vegetables  (From my Bible Study friend Rose)
Gluten Free Chinese - Fantastic Soy Sauce Chicken  (Modification of Internet recipe)
Rose's Authentic Stir-Fried Chicken & Vegetables (Made Gluten Free!)
Gluten Free Sweet & Sour Chicken (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)

TOFU RECIPES:
Tofu & Vegetable Stir Fry  (Modification of Internet recipe)
Orange "Beef" Tofu Stir Fry  (Modification of Internet recipe)

FISH RECIPES:
Steamed Scallion Ginger Fish with Stir-Fried Bok Choy  (Modification of Internet recipe)
Fantastic Mahi & Vegetable Stir Fry   (Modification of Internet recipe)
Tasty Gluten Free Sweet & Sour Fish  (From my daughter-in-law's family reunion cookbook)

NOODLES & RICE:
Gluten Free Chinese Fried Rice    (From my Come & Dine Cookbook)
Fantastic Mahi & Vegetable Stir Fry  (Modification of Internet recipe)
The Cheung's Gluten Free Chow Mien  (My Bible study friend Rose taught me this)

SOUP RECIPES:
Chinese Chicken Soups  - Bok choy chicken, chicken & spinach, and chicken & cabbage
Gluten Free Chinese Hot Pot  (Combination of Internet & Yingying a student from China)
Chinese Egg Drop Soup   (From my Syre School Cookbook)

SALAD RECIPES
Gluten Free Chinese Chicken Cabbage Salad  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)
Rose's Refreshing Cucumber Salad  (From a Bible study friend)
Chinese Mandarin Salad & Thai Peanut Dressing   (Dressing is from my friend Judi)