Chinese Soup Recipe (30 Minutes)

Ingredients

• ½ tablespoon sesame oil or any preferred oil
• ½ teaspoon or 2 to 3 small to medium-sized garlic – finely chopped
• 1 inch or 1 teaspoon ginger – finely chopped
• 2 small-sized or ¼ cup spring onion whites
• 200 grams or 2 to 2½ cups white button mushrooms – sliced or chopped
• 2 to 3 teaspoons celery – finely chopped, optional
• 3 cups water or vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce – gluten-free & naturally fermented or regular soy sauce, add as required
• ½ teaspoon crushed black pepper or ground black pepper, add as required
• salt – according to taste
• 5 tablespoons spring onion greens – chopped, for garnish

Steps

Preparation

1. Rinse the button mushrooms, wipe them and cut into slices.
2. Prepare the spring onions as slices; chop the garlic cloves, ginger and celery stick into fine pieces.

Making Chinese Soup

1. Heat sesame oil in a pan over a medium flame, then add the chopped garlic and ginger and saute for a few seconds.
2. Put in the sliced spring onion whites and saute for a minute.
3. Add the sliced mushrooms and chopped celery to the pan.
4. Stir the vegetables as they saute over medium heat for two minutes.
5. Pour in 3 cups water and stir everything together.
6. Leave the soup uncovered to simmer over low to medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes.
7. Add soy sauce, crushed black pepper and salt as needed, using more or less soy sauce to suit your taste. Account for the salt already in the soy sauce when seasoning.
8. Put a lid on the pan and simmer over low to medium heat for 15 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender and well cooked.
9. Check the soup once or twice during simmering.
10. Turn off the heat when done, then taste and add more soy sauce, black pepper or salt if needed.
11. Add 5 tablespoons chopped spring onion greens and, if preferred, a bit of rice vinegar.
12. Serve hot, either on its own or with an accompaniment.
13. It may also be offered as a starter with a Chinese main course.