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Chinese spinach soup  – How to make it from scratch

The Chinese spinach soup called 上汤苋菜 is a popular item featured on the menu of  Chinese restaurants in Malaysia. This Cantonese-style clear soup has a rich stock flavor, combined with the Asian flavors from spinach, salted eggs, and century eggs.

The Malaysian version of the 上汤苋菜 does not include chilies. Instead, it commonly uses ikan bilis (the local anchovies) as the soup base. These differences make it taste different from the China version.

I adjusted my recipe by substituting the anchovy stock with the homemade Chicken stock and including some dried shrimp to provide the seafood taste.

Dong guai and ginkgo nuts are two optional ingredients I add to the soup, rendering some herbal flavor and providing a different texture.

Chinese spinach soup 上汤苋菜 is the result of concentrated stock, flavored with century egg, century egg, and spinach. Make it the authentic way, just like any household in Asia.

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Here is a detailed explanation of how to prepare Chinese spinach soup.

A. The soup base

The stock for the soup is crucial to making it a successful dish.

There are a few ways to prepare the stock. First, you can use homemade Chinese chicken stock as the base for the soup. Kindly refer to my article on how to prepare the chicken stock. 

You can prepare a dried anchovies stock for the spinach soup if you dislike chicken broth.

Here are the steps to prepare anchovy stock.

  • Heat some vegetable oil in the wok.
  • Add the washed and pat dry anchovies (ikan bilis) and stir-fry over medium heat until aromatic.
  • Add the water to the wok, then lower the heat to simmer for twenty minutes.
  • Pour the broth through a wire mesh strainer to capture all the anchovies. Discard the anchovies. The stock is ready.
Chinese spinach soup  - How to make it from scratch (the traditional way)

B. Prepare the ingredients

a. Wash the spinach

There are different types of Chinese spinach in Malaysia. I prefer choosing red spinach, which is more colorful and tender.

  • Cut off the stem of the spinach.
  • Plug off the leaves and discards the tough stalks. You can also use some of the tender parts of the stalks for making the soup.
  • Rinse the leave with water several times as it potentially contains plenty of dirt and sand. You should take this step seriously as we have experienced sandy soup in the restaurants.
  • Drain in a colander.

b. Salted egg and century egg

You should be able to get salted and century eggs in most Asian grocery stores. Otherwise, it is available online from Amazon.

You must boil the salted duck egg before cutting them into small pieces. But, on the contrary, you do not need to cook the century egg in advance as it is already in a solid form when it is raw. 

Crack to remove the shell of the salted egg and century egg. Separate the egg yolks from the egg white, then cut them into small pieces. We will cook the white in the stock briefly, then add the yolks at the last minute of cooking. The egg yolks, especially the century egg yolks, can darken the color of the soup and break up into small pieces if you add them in the early stage. You will get a clear spinach soup by adding the yolks last.

c. Dried shrimps

Soak the dried shrimp in hot water to soften them. Then remove and drain.

d. Additional ingredients (optional)

  • Crack the ginkgo nuts, discard the shell and remove the inner stem, which is bitter. You can buy those sealed in vacuum bags without the shell to save time.
  • Prepare a tablespoon of goji berries and two slices of dong guai.
Chinese spinach soup  - How to make it from scratch (the traditional way)

C. The cooking process

  1. Heat some oil in the wok (or a thick bottom soup pot) to medium.
  2. Add a few cloves of garlic. Try not to bash them so that they stay intact. Stir-fry the whole cloves until fragrant, turn golden brown, and slightly charred on the surface.
  3. Add the dried shrimp and stir-fry until fragrant.
  4. Add the homemade chicken stock.
  5. Throw in the dong guai at this time to give enough time to release the flavor.
  6. Add the white part of the century egg and salted egg when the stock starts to boil.
  7. Include the Chinese spinach. Cook until the vegetables start to wilt.
  8. Season the soup with salt, sugar, and white pepper powder.
  9. Add the egg yolk pieces.
  10. You may add a beaten egg to the soup and stir quickly to form egg strands as you make egg drop soup. However, I prefer sticking to the original formula without the egg.
  11. Finally, add a handful of wolfberries (goji berries)  to the soup before serving.

Other Chinese soup recipes

Here are my picks of some delicious soup recipes for you since you like the Chinese-style spinach soup:

  • Egg drop soup is one of the most well-known soups outside Asia. It only involves a few simple ingredients. Please refer to my Chinese chicken stock recipe if you want to use it as the base for the egg drop soup.
  • Watermelon soup is the best soup to warm your heart, especially during the winter season. It has a subtle winter melon flavor and dried shiitake mushrooms’ aroma.
Yield: 4 servings

Chinese Spinach Soup

Chinese spinach soup recipe 4

Chinese spinach soup 上汤苋菜 is the result of concentrated stock, flavored with century egg, century egg, and spinach. Make it the authentic way, just like any household in Asia.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

Preparation

  1. Plug off the leaves and discards the tough stalks of the spinach. Wash the leaves thoroughly.
  2. Cook the salted duck egg in boiling water, peel and cut into small pieces. Separate the yolk from the white.
  3. Similarly, remove the shell of the century egg. Separate the egg yolks from the egg white, then cut them into small pieces. 
  4. Soak the dried shrimp in hot water to soften them. Then remove and drain.
  5. Crack the ginkgo nuts, discard the shell and remove the inner stem, which is bitter.

Cooking

  1. Stir-fry the garlic cloves in oil until fragrant and slightly charred on the surface.
  2. Add the dried shrimp and stir-fry until fragrant.
  3. Pour in the homemade chicken stock.
  4. Add the dong guai, the white part of the century egg, and the salted egg.
  5. Include the Chinese spinach. Cook until the vegetables start to wilt.
  6. Season the soup with salt, sugar, and white pepper powder.
  7. Add the egg yolk pieces.
  8. Finally, add a handful of wolfberries (goji berries)  to the soup before serving.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 278Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 316mgSodium: 1313mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 14g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 19/8/2022

KP Kwan

Saturday 20th of August 2022

Hi, this is KP Kwan. I am happy to see you in this comment area, as you have read through my recipe. I am glad to reply to any questions and comments as soon as possible.

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