Lazy Receipe: ABC Soup (Chinese style)

My kids are fans of soup, and nothing satisfy and guarantees them finishing up their meal with a second helping more than a wholesome serving of soup. Perhaps being a Cantonese, we grew up with soup and thus passing this tradition over generations.

Some of the soup recipes that are best recommended for children are non other than the high fiber and nourishing selections namely the pumpkin soup, ABC soup, corn soup. For the really Chinese traditional soup, there are the watercress soup, lotus root soup, winter melon soup and the list goes on.

I am hereby sharing one of my lazy mummy recipe, and my children's all time favorite, ABC soup.

I will be introducing the recipe with a thermal pot, as being a busy mum, thermal pot (6L- ya wow 6L! But for a family of 5 hungry hippos, this is just sufficient)  has definitely help reduce cost as opposed to using a slow cooker, as well as the time and fuss required in situations of using a normal soup brewing method over the stove for hours.

Nutritional fact:

As the main ingredients comprises mostly carrots, potatoes, tomatoes and corn, you will understand that this high fiber, iron and magnesium (from corn and red dates), vitamin A and carotene(From carrot), anti-oxidant (from tomatoes), calcium (If pork ribs are added) is almost a complete meal on its own for growing kids and adults.  If wolf berries are added, this soup will further enhance vision, blood reproduction, anti-oxidants, strengthening liver and kidneys.

 

Ingredients for ABC soup:

• 2 to 3 carrots
• 3- 4 potatoes
• 1-2 corns
• 1-2 tomatoes
• 12 - 15 red dates
• 200 gram soft lean pork ribs or lean meat ( As you prefer, this can be omitted for vegetarian version)
• Optional: 15-20 wolf berries (Recommended for vegetarian version)

Instructions for ABC soup:

1. Bowl about half a thermal pot of water using the INNER METAL POT (Not the external vacuum pot)
2. Skin the carrots and potatoes
3. Cut the Carrots and potatoes into chunks of 4cm (length) by 3 cm (width) estimated sizing.
4. Cut the corns into 3 segments
5. Half the tomatoes
6. Wash all the ingredients (including the red dates and wolf berries)
7. Empty the ingredients into the pot of boiling water
8. If pork rib or meat are to be added, first wash the rib/meat over running water. Then wash the rib/meat in a bowl of hot water to further remove any blood and raw smell. Then add the rib/meat to the soup.
9. Add about 2-3 pinch of salt.
10. Leave the soup to simmer for about 20 mins - half an hour (Sometimes I leave it to simmer for almost 45 mins for better taste)
11. Remove the inner pot from stove and place it into the thermal vacuum pot, ensuring the lids are closed tight. This will ensure the soup continues to cook within the thermal pot.
12. The soup is ready for consumption after about 3 hours.

Additional suggestions for thermal pot:

As most thermal pot includes an additional top layer, sometimes I would opt to reduce the ingredients a little leaving sufficient space to also add in the internal top layer to cook steam egg.

Recipe for steamed egg:

1. Beat about 3-4 eggs into 2-3 cups of water (For better taste, you may substitute this with 1 cup of water and 2 cups of soya milk)
2. When the eggs are well beaten, add in a pinch of salt.
3. Optional: You may add in appropriate amount of thin slices of  mushrooms or fish cake to taste.
4. Empty these mixture to the top inner pot. (Ensuring the soup  is still in well boiled temperature)
5. Place the inner pot to the thermal pot of soup and leave it to cook together with the soup for about 1.5- 2 hours.

Woalah,  you have two nourishing complete dishes for your kids with minimal effort.

Bon Appetit !