Chinese ABC Soup (雞菜湯)

I often hear that, although people enjoy drinking Chinese soups, they would never make it by themselves because it’s “too hard”. Here is a super simple soup that takes the “scariness” out of Chinese-soup making because it demonstrates how easy Chinese-style soups can be. The style is similar to how we make most Chinese soups, but it contains no Chinese-specific ingredients!

Chinese ABC Soup must be one of my children's favourite soups. It is called ABC Soup due to it's high content of Vitamin A, B and C. It tastes pretty close to the Western Chicken Vegetable Soup. The Chinese ABC Soups contains all sort of vegetables like carrots, potatoes, kohlrabi (most Chinese Families use celery but I find kohlrabi makes the soup so much more sweeter, tastier and it doesn't give you the strong celery smell !), tomato, corn, onions and sometimes even Korean cabbages.

I personally don't like to put cabbage into my ABC soup as it would remind me of the Chinese Borscht Soup. Chinese Borscht Soup and Chinese ABC Soup are almost identical, but the only difference is adding cabbage,tomato paste into your soup and instead of chicken drumstick you would use oxtails. Easy right ? I love both of them just as much in fact, I love all my Chinese Soups. It's really hard for me to pick which one is my favourite. I always cook Chinese Soup whenever I cook Chinese Dinners, it's a must on my table.

Chinese ABC Soup (雞菜湯)

4 skinless and rinsed drumsticks
2 Chinese carrots, peeled and cut into small bite sizes
1 small kohlrabi, peeled and cut into small bite sizes
2 medium Yukon potatoes, peeled and cut into small bite sizes
1 - 2 fresh or frozen, broken into 2 pieces
1 medium onion, cut into small bite sizes
2 -3 ripe tomatoes on vine, cut into small bite sizes

Step 1:
Blanche chicken drumsticks in separate bowl with boiling water, afterwards rinse it clean under running water to remove any dirt and debris from the blanching.

Step 2:
Mix all the ingredients in a pot, cover with plenty of water and bring it to boil. Simmer over low heat for 2 - 3 hours until broth changes colour and vegetables are slightly soft to touch.

Step 3:
Add salt to taste. Serve hot.

Enjoy !