Easy Fish Balls Soup

Fish balls soup was one of the easiest and simplest dish I've prepared. You can absolutely make this one whenever you're hungry and didn't have much time to cook as long as you have some fish balls in your fridge. You may add in noodles in your soup if you prefer, or you can have it with dipping sauce.

Easy Fish Balls Soup

2 litre of chicken stock
100 g celery - cut coarsely
1 large onion - cut coarsely
1 cinnamon stick
4 cloves
4 cardamom
2 star anise
6 tbsp crispy fried shallot
3 stalks spring onions, sliced
ground white pepper
salt

300g assorted fish cakes and fish balls - blanched
sliced spring onions
crispy fried shallot

1. To make the soup base, simply add in chicken stock, celery, onion, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom and star anise in a stock pot. Let it boil.
2. Simmer for 15 to 30 minutes.
3. Strain soup with strainer or muslin clothes.
4. Sprinkle some spring onion, crispy fried shallot, white pepper and salt to taste.
5. Add in the fish cakes and fish balls into your soup.
6. Garnish with more spring onion and fried shallot.
7. Ready to serve.

# If you need a dipping sauce, simply add in 1/2 cup of light soy sauce, 1/4 cup boiled water, 1 tsp of chilli flakes, 1 tsp vinegar, and a dash of fish sauce and/or sesame oil

Easy Clam Soup

I saw the these fresh clam during my visit to farmer's market and decided to try make them into soup. These recipe was super easy. In just 15 minutes, you will have a tasty and flavorful soup. I love dipping the soup with bread. It taste lovely.

Easy Clam Soup


1 kg clams, scrubbed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 clove of garlic, minced
1 cup anchovy stock
1 tbsp butter, divide into 4
2 tbsp chopped chilies
Chopped cilantro

1. Heat the oil in a medium size pot. Add the garlic and sauté until brown. Not burn.
2. Add the clams and anchovy stock; stir for 1 minute. Lots of recipes with clam soup used wine. I opt for stock or water since wine is a big NO for me.
3. Cover and cook until the clams begin to open, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Drop a portion of butter in every corner of pot and let it melt.
5. Season to taste. Discard any clams that do not open. Sprinkle with chopped chilies and cilantro.
6. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.
7. Enjoy!

Cabbage Rolls Soup

It has been quite some times since I've update this blog. I think it has been quite a while since my last experiments with food. Remember the last time I made Cabbage Wrap with Kimchi Paste? That was like 2 years ago! I thought I should try making cabbage rolls/wraps again. Instead of using Chinese cabbage, I opt for round cabbage this time. I have to say that Chinese Cabbage was easier to work with. Instead of serving them with spicy kimchi paste, I served this one with chicken soup instead. It's very healthy and delicious! 

Cabbage Rolls Soup

1 medium round cabbage

2 chicken breast - ground

1/2 cup mushroom - chopped

1 medium onion - chopped

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

black pepper

2 cups chicken stock

salt & pepper to taste

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil cabbage leaves 2 minutes; drain.
2. In large bowl, combine ground chicken meat, chopped mushroom onion, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce and salt. Marinade in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
3. Place about 2 tbsp of meat mixture in center of each cabbage leaf (it actually depends on the size of your cabbage leaf), and roll up, tucking in ends. Steam the rolls for 10 minutes.
4. Arrange the steamed cabbage rolls in a soup pot and pour chicken stock. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Add in salt and pepper to taste.
5. Sprinkle some parsley (optional) just before serving.

Beef Goulash

Goulash or Gulyas is a soup/stew originating from Hungary. I first heard of this dish during my practical training. The executive chef was from Hungary. I remembered how the chefs would teach me to put in more and more paprika into the dish because the executive chef likes it.

Goulash is made of  meat, vegetable and spices like paprika. Meat cuts from the shank, shin, or shoulder are usually used. Goulash derives its thickness from these parts which is tough, well-exercised muscles rich in collagen. Potatoes are added to produce more thickness to the stew. This is the first time I prepared goulash. The goulash taste a bit sweet and sour (from the tomato paste) and not spicy at all (for my taste).

Beef Goulash/Gulyas

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 onions, medium dice

500g beef, chunk or shank - cut into cube. Mix in a bit fat

1 clove garlic - finely chopped

1 tsp caraway seed, or cumin

12g paprika/Hungarian paprika

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 liter water, brown stock, hot

2 medium potato

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

salt, pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onions in oil until soft, stirring frequently. Don't let the onion brown.
2. Add in onion into cubed beef. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
3. Add in garlic, caraway seeds, paprika, black pepper and tomato paste. Stir well.
4. Add in hot brown stock. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until meat is tender. This usually depends on the type of meat.
5. Add in potatoes and simmer until cooked.
6. Serve hot with rice or pasta

Experimenting: Consommé

Consommé is a type of clear soup made from richly flavored stock or bouillon that has been clarified. Consommé should be strong, rich and full-flavored. It's basic ingredients are Lean ground meat, egg whites (which is used for clarifying) mirepoix and acid ingredients (like tomato or lemon juice).

I have attempted to make this soups three times. Twice when I was a culinary students. (I challenged myself to prepare this soup and failed. After all, consommé is considered to be one of the difficult soups to prepare among us students). And recently, I've tried to make consommé again. And on the third attempt, I believe that I have failed. Again. Haha...

The first and second consommé I made weren't clear at all. They were cloudy. And the third one is a bit clearer than the previous two, but it seems that it wasn't thoroughly strain. (yikes!) You can see the picture there that it wasn't strained very well.

Oh well... I should attempt to make this soup again when I had the time to. Have you tried to make consommé before? How did yours turn up to be?

Ginseng Root & Yok Chok Soup

I bought a packet of Ginseng Root & Yok Chok the other day. I was actually hunting for some ingredients to prepare Samgyetang - Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup.But I thought buying a whole chicken for three people is such a waste. I thought, I should prepare a Ginseng Root & Yok Chok soup instead. 

It was really easy too.

Boil some water and add in the ingredients (Wolfberry, yok chok and ginseng root) and bring to boil (I added in some red dates too!). Then, add in chicken or any other kind of meat to simmer until meat is tender. Add salt to taste. Serve with rice. The soup taste really good too! It has a really mild taste.