Here's a gorgeously healthy Chinese soup that's a cinch to make. Plus it's PINK! That's right, it's not an illusion, we're talking today about pink soup! My little girl was completely delighted with this soup that seemed to jump right out of one of her story books and, to be honest, so was I.
This Chinese Amaranth Soup 紅莧菜湯 is not only a thing of beauty but also super easy to make and super healthy and super yummilicious!
The star of this soup is the Chinese Red Amaranth 紅莧菜 a soft and tender vegetable that features lushly colored purple hearted leaves. This distinctive purple heart is what tints this soup naturally to that delicious pink. The red amaranth is available from early summer to early fall and can be found in your local wet market or asian grocery store.
For the Chinese the red amaranth is a heat clearing food 清熱降火 that clears any extra heat 熱氣 in the body, helping to maintain a proper body balance. The amaranth is also a powerhouse of nutritional goodness, packed full of protein, calcium, iron, magnesium and lots more things that your body needs.
Interesting food fact: The amaranth plant and seed was a staple food for the Aztecs (that's 500 years ago!) and used as an integral part of their religious ceremonies. The Spanish conquistadors forbid the Aztec to cultivate amaranth as part of their subjugation. Thereafter, amaranth only grew wild as a weed until the 1970's when folks realized its potential and started to cultivate it.
The only other ingredient in this soup is a bit of garlic is added to complement and punch up the flavors. We left the garlic clove whole but lightly crushed with the flat of our knife, a neat trick when you want the garlic flavor infused into your dish but not to actually eat the cloves.
This soup is so easy!! And so yummy and healthy!! And it's PINK!!! What more could one possibly want?! We hope you enjoy this fabulous Chinese Amaranth Soup 紅莧菜湯 as much as we do!
Chinese Amaranth Soup Recipe
紅莧菜湯
Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 10 mins
Ingredients:
紅莧菜湯
Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 10 mins
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch Chinese amaranth 紅莧菜
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp peanut oil
- 32 oz chicken stock, 1 liter
- 1/2 liter water
Directions:
Chop roots off and wash amaranth thoroughly in water, repeating as necessary to remove any trapped sand. Check stem tenderness, chop away bottom stems if tough. Drain.
Peel garlic and crush each clove with the flat of your knife. Heat wok over low heat. When hot add the garlic cloves and carefully stir the garlic until golden brown. Add in the amaranth and stir fry until the amaranth just wilted.
Chop roots off and wash amaranth thoroughly in water, repeating as necessary to remove any trapped sand. Check stem tenderness, chop away bottom stems if tough. Drain.
Peel garlic and crush each clove with the flat of your knife. Heat wok over low heat. When hot add the garlic cloves and carefully stir the garlic until golden brown. Add in the amaranth and stir fry until the amaranth just wilted.
Add in the chicken stock, water and let simmer for 2-3 minutes until the soup is pink and the amaranth soft. Add salt to taste and serve hot. Enjoy!
Superlicious Soups at The Hong Kong Cookery:
Google
hmm
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time I heard about Chinese Amaranth soup. But I am planning to make this soup and will tell you how it turned out. Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteIt's a tasty and easy to make soup that's beautiful to look at. I do hope that you enjoy it! ~ellen
DeleteI read on Google that Amaranth vegetable is good anti-oxidant against cataract - which is the blurring of the lenses of the eye, which is the result of oxidation, or aging of the eyes to keep it clear.
ReplyDeleteWould be good if amaranth vegetable are available also in Brisbane. I have looked every where in South Brisbane vegetable markets to no avail. I looked in Vietnamese, Chinese, Indian markets. No luck. Some farmers must be growing them somewhere.
Hey tc2tc2tc - That's too bad! It's getting more popular so maybe the markets will start stocking them soon. In the meanwhile have you considered growing it yourself? ~ellen
ReplyDeleteThat was sooooo yummy.
ReplyDeleteI did add a small amount of Fish Sauce and maybe 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce.
Dear Dorothy - So glad that you liked it! Happy Chinese New Year! ~ellen
ReplyDelete