Bamboo Pith Soup (竹笙湯)
Bamboo Pith Soup is a traditional Chinese soup that's nourishing and delicious. It's spectacular for celebrations and a casual weeknight dinner!
Servings: 10
Calories: 152kcal
Equipment
- Scissors
- Colander
Ingredients
- 100 g / 0.22 lb dried bamboo fungus
- 10 g / 0.02 lb rehydrated dried scallops
- 60 g / 0.13 lb rehydrated shiitake mushrooms (thinly sliced)
- 2.5 L / 10.5 US cup chicken and pork stock
- 1 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 2 egg whites
- 10 tbsp potato starch (mix with water for the starch slurry)
- 8 tbsp water (mix with potato starch for the slurry)
- pepper (as a garnish)
- Chinese red vinegar (as a topping)
Instructions
- Soak the dried bamboo pith in cool water for 3 hours or until soft, then wash them and cut off the hard tips using scissors. This will be at the top and bottom of each one.
- Cut the piths into 3cm (1.2") segments and let them drip dry in a colander.
- Meanwhile, bring the chicken and pork stock to a boil. Season with the salt and chicken bouillon powder, then add in the shiitake mushrooms and bamboo pith.
- Drain the rehydrated scallops and shred them into the soup.
- Let it simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes.
- Turn the heat to low-medium. Mix up the starch slurry and and slowly pour it in while stirring. If you want it thicker, add more slurry.
- Gently pour the egg whites in large rings over the soup. Once they cook, stir it through to get long strands.
- Serve immediately as is with a touch of pepper and red vinegar!
Notes
- Scoop the top layer of oil out of the broth as much as possible. This keeps the dish light and less greasy.
- Opt for brown dried piths. You are likely to find white ones in the shops, but keep in mind that they may have been bleached to get that color.
- Keep the heat at a simmer. Particularly for when you add the starch slurry and the egg whites, you want to the heat to be low so it doesn't cook the ingredients too quickly. Starch and egg whites will become clumpy once they reach a high enough temperature, which can change the texture of your dish.
- We make our own chicken and pork stock, but you can also use store-bought stocks instead. All the other ingredients can be purchased dehydrated from Chinese supermarkets or grocery stores.
- We use potato starch for the slurry, but if you can't find any then corn starch will work too.
Nutrition
Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 725mg | Potassium: 446mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 8IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg