Buddha Jumps Over The Wall Soup (佛跳墙)

Buddha Jumps Over The Wall Soup is a pot of nutritious Chinese delicacies simmered long and slow until fall apart tender! It’s the most nourishing herbal soup you’ll ever have for such a simple recipe. Find out how to make a traditional banquet-quality soup in the comfort of your home!

A nutrient-dense herbal concoction

You know you’re in for a serious A-game dinner when someone orders Buddha Jumps Over The Wall Soup.

It’s such a luxury menu item that you have to pre-order it the day before from Chinese restaurants!

I’ll be honest – it does take hours to slow cook, but if you’ve had it before then you’ll know it’s worth every moment.

Not only will you get a mountain of nutrients in one spoonful, but these ingredients come out like no other: melt-on-your-spoon, SUPER fragrant meat that still stays true to their natural flavors.

Then bite into abalone that’s juicy yet oh so springy.

You’ll be craving for seconds!

And the best part is the slow cooker does all the work. Pop all the ingredients in and let it transform everything into the most nourishing bowl you’ve ever had!

Why is it called ‘Buddha Jumps Over The Wall’?

Every dish comes with a beginning, and this one – with its seemingly odd name – is no different!

It is said that back during the Qing Dynasty, a scholar travelling by foot had kept his food preserved in a clay jar.

Once he got hungry and began cooking it over an open flame, a meditating monk (who was not to eat any meat) caught the scent of the dish and was completely drawn to the fragrance.

The monk then proceeded to jump over the wall to eat the dish, breaking his pledge. When asked about it later, the monk would reply that the meal was so good that even Buddha would jump over the wall to have some!

What are the health benefits?

The main ingredients in this recipe are recognized in the Chinese community for their health benefits. Here is a list of the nutrition you’ll be getting once you drink this soup:

• Abalone. Low in fat and high in omega 3, eating abalone is believed to assist with arthritis, thyroid and skin health.
• Chicken feet. As with our family’s Chicken Feet Soup (雞腳汤) recipe, you’ll find plenty of collagen in this ingredient for keeping the skin smooth and youthful.
• Dried scallops. Dehydrating scallops is said to concentrate the nutrients, which means there is a high ratio of protein, zinc and vitamins. They are eaten for reducing cholesterol, fatigue and high blood pressure symptoms.
• Dried medicinal herbs. There is a myriad of benefits that are believed to come with Chinese herbs. Most are said to have the usual benefits: anti-aging properties, assisting with fatigue and digestion as well as boosting the immune system.
• Deer sinews. High in calcium, this ingredient is believed to help with bone health, joint mobility and joint pain.

While there may be a long list of nutrient-dense ingredients, the bottom line is they all taste phenomenal when slow cooked together!

Why this recipe works

• Using fresh abalones keeps the broth naturally sweet and loaded with flavor.
• Mixing in a variety of dried herbs means the taste stays hearty with extra health benefits.
• Adding dried scallops gives the dish a deep umami fragrance that works well as a base.

What you’ll need

About the ingredients

Dried herbs

You can find all the dried medicinal herbs as well as the deer sinew at traditional Chinese medicine shops. They often have the ingredients organized in shelves or glass jars across a wall. Just ask them for a packet of herbs for a herbal soup and they will package one for you accordingly.

Alternatively, some supermarkets will have pre-packaged bags of herbs ready for a soup stock. If those options are not available, you can go to your local Asian supermarket and buy each ingredient separately.

Dried choices can include: goji berries, jujubes, solomon seal, ginseng, Chinese yam, angelica root, codonopsis root and astragalus root.

Chicken and Abalone

For the silkie chicken, you can get them frozen from Chinese butchers. Some Chinese medicine shops also supply them too.

We get our abalone fresh at the seafood market with the shell still on, then we ask the fish monger to clean and deshell it for us.

Buddha Jumps Over The Wall Soup is also traditionally made with shark fin, but we chose not to use it for this recipe.

How to make this recipe

Rinse and soak the dried scallops in hot water for 20 minutes, then drain and set aside.

Clean the abalone by using a new toothbrush to brush away the brown layer on its body.

Turn the abalone to its side and brush at the black parks until clean, then place in a colander to drip dry. Repeat this with the rest of the abalones.

Use scissors to cut the tips off the chicken feet.

Cube the pork meat roughly into 1cm (0.4″) chunks.

Pour the chicken stock into the slow cooker and turn it up to high. Add all the ingredients and seasoning in, put the lid on and let it come to a boil.

As soon as it starts boiling, set the heat to low and let it slow cook for 5-6 hours.

Serve immediately as is!

FAQs

Tips for the best results

• Slow cook for longer. This is one of those recipes that tastes so much better when it has been simmered on low heat for a long time. Plus, it keeps the meat super tender!
• Make your own stock. While it’s much easier to use premade chicken stock, using a homemade version will keep the dish’s flavor profile crisp and free from additives.
• Add the rice wine in at the very end. This technique leaves the dish fragrant and sweet with just enough time to evaporate the aocohol content.

Warm up with more soups!

• Chinese Fish Soup (魚頭爐) – Get deliciously silky fish and the tang from pickled mustard greens in this homey recipe.
• Fish Maw Soup – Thick, rich and full of collagen, you’ll love how warming this dish is on a cold Winter’s night.
• Chinese Watercress Soup (西洋菜汤) – This recipe is a regular in our household for a reason – it’s healthy, so simple to make and tastes delicious!
• Stuffed Bittermelon Soup (Canh Khổ Qua) – There’s nothing quite like the taste of a crisp and nutritiously bitter soup that’s balanced by super moist pork mince.
• Canh Khoai Mỡ (Creamy Purple Yam Soup) – If you’ve never tried root vegetable like this before, now’s the time. It’s lusciously wholesome and the perfect way to finish a meal!

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