The Ultimate Guide to Chinese Soups: Varieties, Flavors & 12 Must-Try Classics

Soup is an important part of Chinese cuisine, which is masterfully prepared for their health advantages as well as their delectable tastes. Especially in the winter, a steaming bowl of soup can defends against the cold and cures the body. Gradually, it is intimately associated with the concepts of traditional Chinese medicine for balancing the body and nourishing the spirit. This guide will take you to explore traditional Chinese soup types and popular recipes.

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• Traditional Chinese Soup Culture
• Types of Chinese Soups
• List of Popular Traditional Chinese Soups
• Top 12 Soups in China – Types, Ingredients & Flavors
• How to Make Chinese Soup at Home: Tips and Recipes
• Start an Enjoyable China Food Tour with China Xian Tour

Traditional Chinese Soup Culture

History of Chinese Soup

The history of Chinese soup has developed alongside Chinese civilization and culinary tradition over thousands of years.

In the ancient time, people started to boil food in water when pottery was invented during the Neolithic period. Soup evolved over years from a simple method of preparing and storing food to a complex component of Chinese philosophy and cooking.

The concepts of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which strongly emphasized the use of food as medicine, have a significant impact on its development. By the Shang and Zhou dynasties, people were already preparing soups with certain herbs and spices that they believed would be beneficial to their health.

Every era and dynasty in China’s long history made contributions to the development of the diversity of soups. Chinese people transformed soup from a basic dish into a sophisticated, culturally significant art form of balancing flavor, health, and nourishment.

Basic Facts about Chinese Soup

• The Difference between “Drinking Soup” vs Eating

In Chinese, the words for eating soup and eating solid meals are different. People “ drink soup”, which emphasizes its liquid form and the fact that it is often served in individual bowls as a drink-like side dish during a meal. This is very different from “eating” , which signifies to have a complete meal.

• Chinese Soup’s Function as a Main Dish

In Chinese eating, especially in the south, a strong, slow-cooked soup is typically seen as the main dish. People share it and drink it throughout the dinner. It is not only a drink, but also a nourishing and important food that goes well with and balances the other dishes.

• Common Ingredients

The stock is usually used to make a Chinese soup. It is made with different ingredients like pork bones or whole chickens. To gain an umami flavor, people usually cook it for hours. Also, people always put fresh vegetables like carrots, corn, and winter melon to make soup sweeter. If people pursue more health benefits, they put dried fungi herbs, and aromatics.

• Connect to Traditional Chinese Medicine

People can choose ingredients for cooling or hotting. It depends on how they want to affect their energy. It also depends on how well they would nourish certain organs or fix imbalances. Duck soup is thought to be “cooling” and good for hot weather, whereas goat soup with ginger is thought to be “warming” and is given in the winter to get rid of the cold. This attitude turns soup from just food into a kind of preventive medicine and nutritional treatment that helps keep the body and the environment in balance.

Types of Chinese Soups

There are many different kinds of soups in China to be grouped in many different ways, such as ingredients, flavors and regions. Each of soup brings out different traditions and customs in different areas in China.

• By Primary Ingredients

Types	Features	Example
Meat-based Soups	Characterized by a rich, hearty broth, providing ample protein and fat	Pork Rib Soup Beef Soup
Poultry & Egg Soups	Highly regarded as nourishing tonics, offering a savory and warming flavor	Chicken Soup Old Duck Soup
Seafood & Aquatic Soups	Emphasize the natural sweetness and tender texture of aquatic ingredients	Fish Head Tofu Soup
Vegetable Soups	Light and refreshing, showcasing the essence of seasonal vegetables	West Lake Water Shield Soup Superior Broth Spinach Soup
Edible Fungus Soups	Renowned for their distinctive aroma and profound umami flavor, often associated with “mountain delicacies”	various Mushroom Soups

• By Flavor 

Types	Features
Savory & Umami Soups	This is the most common group. The idea is to get pure umami from high-quality foods with as little seasoning as possible.
Sour & Spicy Soups	It is designed to stimulate the taste buds with overtones of sourness and spice, which are said to improve the flavor of food and keep you cool.
Sweet Soups	Rock sugar is added to common items like snow fungus, red dates, fruits, or beans and boiled. This makes soups sweet and relaxing.

•  By Regional Characteristics

Regions	Features	Examples
Northern China	Fight the cold Slow-cooked broth Rich & thick Warming spices Pepper & vinegar	Lamb Offal Soup
Jiangnan (South of the Yangtze)	Vegetable abundance Subtle & clear Original taste	Salted Pork and Fresh Bamboo Soup
Lingnan (Cantonese Cuisine)	Nourishing simmer Herbal blending Long-simmered herbal soup	Chicken Soup with Five-Finger Peach
Minnan & Yue (Chaoshan, Fujian)	Shellfish & fowl broth Multi-layered soups	Buddha Jumps Over the Wall
Sichuan & Chongqing (Sichuan Cuisine)	Mala soup Numbing spice Diverse flavors	Boiled Chinese Cabbage

List of Popular Traditional Chinese Soups

There are different types of soups in China. People in different areas or even nearby cities have different flavors. For example, people in Sichuan love spicy soup while people in Guangzhou love light ones. Here is the list of popular traditional soup in China. Most of them can be ordered in restaurants when you are on a China tour.

English Name	Pinyin	Characters	Cuisine
Lotus Root and Pork Rib Soup	Lián’ǒu Páigǔ Tāng	莲藕排骨汤	Hubei Cuisine
Salted Pork and Fresh Bamboo Shoot Soup	Yān Dǔ Xiān Tāng	腌笃鲜汤	Shanghainese Cuisine
Spicy Hot Soup	Hú Là Tāng	胡辣汤	Henan Cuisine
Duck Blood and Vermicelli Soup	Yā Xuě Fěnsī Tāng	鸭血粉丝汤	Nanjing Cuisine
lay Pot Soup	Wǎ Guàn Tāng	瓦罐汤	Jiangxi Cuisine
Buddha Jumps Over the Wall	Fó Tiào Qiáng	佛跳墙	Fujian (Min) Cuisine
Cantonese Slow-Simmered Soup	Lǎohuǒ Liàng Tāng	老火靓汤	Cantonese (Yue) Cuisine
Boiled Chinese Cabbage	Kāishuǐ Báicài	开水白菜	Sichuan Cuisine
Wensi Tofu Soup	Wénsī Dòufu Gēng	文思豆腐羹	Jiangsu (Su) Cuisine
West Lake Water Shield Soup	Xīhú Chúncài Tāng	西湖莼菜汤	Zhejiang (Zhe) Cuisine
Stewed Chicken Soup	Dùn Jī Tāng	炖鸡汤	Home-style Cuisine
Pickled Mustard and Fish Head Soup	Suāncài Yútóu Tāng	酸菜鱼头汤	Sichuan/Cantonese Cuisine
Sweet and Sour Soup	Suān Là Tāng	酸辣汤	Sichuan Cuisine
Four Spirits Soup (Herbal Soup)	Sì Shén Tāng	四神汤	Medicinal Cuisine

Top 12 Soups in China – Types, Ingredients & Flavors

Here are 12 best Chinese soups with specific ingredients and flavors for you. You can choose which is appropriate for you.

Lotus Root and Pork Rib Soup (莲藕排骨汤)

• Ingredients: Pork ribs, lotus root, ginger, scallions
• Flavors: Savoryand sweet
• Type: Meat-based nourishing soup

First, you need to pick out fresh pork ribs and lotus root. Also, prepare for old ginger and spring onion knots. After that, place the ribs in a saucepan with the lotus root. Then, simmer the soup for more than two hours. Finally it should look like milky white.

It offers a nice blend of tastes and textures, so people love this comforting homemade soup. The pork ribs are simmered for hours with bits of fresh lotus root after being blanched to remove any remaining dirt.

Salted Pork and Fresh Bamboo Shoot Soup (腌笃鲜)

• Ingredients: Salted pork, fresh pork ribs or belly, fresh spring bamboo shoots, tofu knots
• Flavors: Layered umamiand savory
• Type: Meat-based seasonal soup

First, you need to simmer the salted and fresh pork together. Thus, you can make a strong umami basis. Then, add the blanched bamboo shoots to the saucepan and let it boil gently for an hour.

The fresh pork makes the meal moist, while the cured pork gives it a rich, savory base. Meanwhile ,the spring bamboo shoots offer a crisp and sweet taste.

Spicy Hot Soup (胡辣汤)

• Ingredients: Beef broth, thin-sliced meat, wheat gluten, black fungus, vermicelli, pepper, chili, and over a dozen spices.
• Flavors: Spicy, thick, and aromatic
• Type: Spicy & sour soup

First, you need to add thinly sliced beef, wheat gluten, wood ear mushrooms, and vermicelli to the beef bone broth. Then, season it with pepper and chili, and keep thickening it until it looks like porridge.

It is a traditional breakfast food in China. People think it can provide energy especially in the morning in the north area. It is a thick and spicy broth made with bone stock and a mix of warming spices.

Duck Blood and Vermicelli Soup (鸭血粉丝汤)

• Ingredients: Duck blood curd, duck offal, vermicelli, tofu puffs, duck broth, coriander.
• Flavors: Savory, aromatic with a distinctive, clean duck flavor
• Type: Poultry-based street food soup

This dish is primarily made with duck blood curd, duck offal, vermicelli, and tofu puffs. You can blanch these ingredients in a rich, long-simmered duck bone broth. Then, you can add some fresh coriander for added flavor.

The broth, created by boiling whole ducks, is delicious. If you put some fresh coriander, it can taste lighter and more soothing.

Clay Pot Soup (煲仔汤)

• Ingredients: pork ribs with seaweed, chicken with medicinal herbs
• Flavors: Varies from savory to herbal
• Type: Slow-cookednourishing soup

It is a Jiangxi speciality that is noted for its unique pot and way of cooking. Raw ingredients like pork ribs and fowl, are placed in a small clay pot filled with water. Then, put them in a big clay urn that is heated by charcoal to cook slowly for a few hours.

The specialty of this dish is that you can taste the original flavors of the ingredients. It is both delicious and nutritious.

Buddha Jumps Over the Wall (佛跳墙)

• Ingredients: Abalone, sea cucumber, fish maw, scallops, quail eggs, chicken, Jinhua ham, Shaoxing wine
• Flavors: Layered umami
• Type: Banquet Soup

You need to place premium ingredients such as abalone, sea cucumber, fish maw, and dried scallops together with chicken. Then, ham into a wine-based broth to simmer slowly for over ten hours.

It is the most well-known soup in Fujian cuisine. People believe that the smell was so good that everyone will love it. It has the best umami flavor for a balanced and wonderful meal.

Cantonese Slow-Simmered Soup (广式老火汤)

• Ingredients: pork bones with carrots,chicken with goji berries and codonopsis
• Flavors: Sweet
• Type: Medicinal soup

Pork bones and carrots or chicken, goji berries, and codonopsis are two common combinations for this meal. For the finest flavour, you should let it simmer on low heat for more than four hours.

People consume this soup because it is good for their health and well-being. Cantonese people always eat it before a meal to make their digestive system ready.

Boiled Chinese Cabbage (开水白菜)

• Ingredients: Chinese cabbage, superior clear brothmade from chicken or ducks
• Flavors: Delicate, and umami-rich
• Type: Vegetable-basedsoup

The dish looks deceptively simple but nourishing. There are a few cabbage leaves in a soup, which makes it looks nearly like water. The broth elevates the humble cabbage to an experience of sublime and refined flavor.

Wensi Tofu Soup (文思豆腐羹)

• Ingredients: Soft tofu, ham, mushroom, bamboo shoot, chicken broth
• Flavors: Delicate, silky, and savory
• Type: Tofu-basedsoup

It shows off the greatest knife skills in Huaiyang cookery. People frequently split tofu into little pieces and place them in water, where they float like soft clouds. They are carefully simmered in a clear chicken broth with finely shredded gammon, mushrooms and bamboo shoots.

West Lake Water Shield Soup (西湖莼菜汤)

• Ingredients: Water shield, shredded chicken or ham, clear chicken broth
• Flavors: Slightly slippery, and refreshing
• Type: Vegetable & poultry-based soup

For this recipe, soft West Lake water shield leaves are used and mixed with shredded chicken or gammon. After that, the components are briefly blanched in pure chicken broth for a few seconds and then taken out.

The water shield gives the soup a light and refreshing taste. It also has a faint and fresh smell that reminds people of the lake. This is what makes Zhejiang food so exquisite and simple.

Seaweed and Egg Drop Soup (紫菜蛋花汤)

• Ingredients: Dried seaweed, eggs, chicken stock or water, green onion
• Flavors: Lightand savory
• Type: Egg-based Quick Soup

First, soak the dried seaweed to get it wet again. Then, add it and beaten eggs to the boiling water. Third, mix briskly to make egg ribbons, and last, add some chopped green onions on top.

It’s a five-minute wonder, which is light, healthy, and comfortable to everyone. It’s commonly served as a daily digestive aid or a simple starter.

Stewed Chicken Soup (清炖鸡汤)

• Ingredients: Whole chicken or chicken parts, ginger, scallions, goji berries
• Flavors: Savoryand deeply chicken-flavored
• Type: Poultry-based tonic soup

You need a whole chicken or plenty of chicken pieces, and add ginger slices, spring onions, and goji berries. Simmer them together for three hours.

It is the best way to get better from an illness or just make the body stronger.

How to Make Chinese Soup at Home: Tips and Recipes

Want to make Chinese soup at home? Below are the two simple and common soup dish in China. Follow the step-by-step guide, you can make your own authentic soup.

Seaweed and Egg Drop Soup

• Ingredients:

Water or light chicken stock, dried seaweed, torn into small pieces, dried small shrimp, eggs, lightly beaten, sesame oil, green onion, Salt and white pepper

• Instructions:

Step 1: First, bring the water or stock to a boil. Then, add the dried shrimp and the torn seaweed. Simmer for two to three minutes.

Step 2: You need to add salt and white pepper to the broth.

Step 3: Slowly pour in the beaten egg. Then, gently mix the soup in a circle.

Step 4: Immediately turn off the heat and stir in the sesame oil.

Step 5: Put some green onions as a garnish.

Creamy Crucian Carp Soup 

• Ingredients:

Fresh crucian carp , soft tofu, ginger, green onions, cooking oil, Shaoxing wine, boiling water, salt and white pepper

• Instructions:

Step 1: Use paper towels to dry the fish all the way, which is a key action to stop splattering.

Step 2: Put oil in a saucepan or wok. Then, heat it over medium-high heat. After that, you can fry the ginger and green onion pieces to gain a good smell.

Step 3: Add the fish slowly. Then, cook for 2–3 minutes on each side of the fish. Make sure the skin of the fish becomes golden brown.

Step 4: Pour the wine around the fish.

Step 5: Add the boiling water to make the soup milky white. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to medium. Cover and let it cook on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes until it looks like creamy white.

Step 6: Add the tofu cubes slowly, simmering them for another five minutes.

Step 7: Add salt and white pepper is the final step. Remember to be careful not to break up the fish until you put the soup in the dish.

Start an Enjoyable China Food Tour with China Xian Tour

If you want to enjoy these soups, we can turn your interest in food into a China food trip you’ll never forget. With over 20 years of expertise on planning and organizing China tours, China Xian Tour is a top China travel agency. Our professional teams of travel consultants and local guides will help you to really taste the many different food cultures in China. Let us help you get started on your delectable experience right away.