A Deliciously Tasty Sizzling Rice Soup Recipe
While the exact origins of this soup are debatable, sizzling rice soup has become a popular dish for people to order from Chinese restaurants in America. It’s a specialty dish served at weddings and other special events in Asia because of its unique feature. If you’re a fan of snap, crackle, and popping in your soup, read on to learn how to make your own sizzling rice soup.
Making Magic in Your Own Kitchen
If you’ve ordered sizzling rice soup at a restaurant, you know how exciting it is when the whole bowl comes together. For anyone who’s never ordered or even heard of the soup, this recipe can make you the most awesome parent or host when you show off with this recipe.
The main attraction comes when you add your sizzling rice to the soup. If you’ve ever poured milk into a bowl of crisped rice cereal and bent your ear down to hear the rice popping, then you’ve experienced this phenomenon on a smaller scale. Likewise, you’ll create popping magic when you add hot, sizzling rice to the soup.
Here’s How to Make Your Own Tasty Sizzling Rice Soup Recipe
There are many ingredients and steps to make this soup, but they’re all manageable and worth the effort. Here’s your own recipe to thrill anyone around when you make it.
Ingredients:
For the Sizzling Rice:
- 1 ½ cups of cooked rice (leftovers are fine – set the rice to sit overnight on the counter if possible)
- ⅛ tsp of salt
- Vegetable oil (for frying)
For the Soup:
- 2 oz chicken breast, thinly sliced
- 2 tsp water
- 1 ½ tsp of oyster sauce
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 2 oz fresh sea scallops
- 4 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 tsp of vegetable or canola oil
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- ¼ cup carrots, thinly sliced
- ½ cup of whole canned straw mushrooms (save the liquid to use as broth if desired)
- 2 cups baby bok choy, sliced into one-inch pieces
- 1 cup napa cabbage, sliced into one-inch pieces
- 8 cups of chicken stock (minus any amount of mushroom liquid if using)
- 2 ounces of ham, thinly sliced
- ½ cup of snow peas, trimmed and cut in half
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- ½ tsp sesame oil
Directions:
Soup:
- Spread your cooked rice onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the rice. If you cannot have the rice sit out overnight, preheat your oven to 325 degrees and then toast the rice in the oven for about 20 minutes.
- Thinly slice your chicken breast. “Velvet” your chicken by mixing it with 2 tsp water, 1 ½ tsp of oyster sauce, and 1 tsp of cornstarch. Set aside.
- In your wok, bring six cups of water to a boil (a large pot works, too). Add the velveted chicken to the water. Gently stir the chicken in the water for around 45 seconds or until the chicken appears cooked (overcooking can result in chewy, dry chicken. Remove the chicken with a slotted or strainer spoon. Set the chicken aside.
- Now add the scallops and shrimp to the wok (or pot). Allow them to cook for around 45 seconds, or they appear to be cooked. Remove from the wok (or pot), and set aside. Pour the water out of your wok or pot and wash.
- Put your wok or pot back on the stove and set it over medium heat. Add 2 tsp of vegetable or canola oil, garlic, carrots, and mushrooms. Stir fry until the carrots are slightly softened, usually about a minute.
- Now add the bok choy and napa cabbage. Stir fry the veggies for another minute.
- Add the chicken stock and any reserved mushroom liquid. Bring the soup to a simmer.
- Add the ham and snow peas, and bring the soup to a simmer again.
- Now add the cooked chicken, scallops, and shrimp. Stir for a minute before adding the snow peas.
- Bring the soup back to a simmer and add the salt, white pepper, and sesame oil, stirring well to combine.
- Keep the soup hot on low heat while you make the sizzling rice.
Sizzling Rice:
- Fill a small, deep pot with vegetable or canola oil and heat to 350 degrees.
- When your soup is finished, add the dry roasted rice to the oil until crisp or around 30 seconds. You may need to do this in small batches.
To Serve:
Right before you fry your rice, ladle the soup into bowls. As each batch of rice is finished, add it to the soup immediately. Ensure your diners are there for this step – the rice should sizzle as its hot oil makes contact with the soup.
The showmanship associated with this recipe is almost as exciting as its taste. This is a hearty, healthy combination of protein, veggies, and flavor with the satisfying, crunchy starch of some good fried rice that’s bound to be more memorable than a moment of sizzle.
What if You Don’t Feel Comfortable Frying Rice?
Unless you own a fryer in your home kitchen, frying can be tricky. The pan, oil, and temperatures may be dangerous enough that frying the rice is too risky. There are other options.
You can buy sizzling rice cakes at many local Asian markets. Some even have frozen versions of this rice. All you need to do is heat it in oil. The catch of this option is that sometimes the instructions aren’t available in English.
If in doubt, ask an employee. They should be able to tell you what the package says or even jot simple instructions down for you.
You can also try a large online retailer for sizzling rice. The instructions should be on the package in English, but you can always translate them on your favorite search engine.
Do I Have to Add Sizzling Rice?
You don’t have to add anything you don’t want to in this soup. If you don’t want to tackle the frying aspect, you can ladle the soup over cooked rice in the bowl. You won’t get the pop and sizzle show, but you’ll still have a delicious soup with rice.
Can I Store the Leftovers of the Soup?
The best way to store this soup is to ladle it into airtight containers and keep it in the fridge for up to five days. If you’d like to freeze it, place the remaining soup into an airtight container and freeze it for up to three months.
Sizzling Rice Soup Ideas
The wonderful thing about soup is that it’s customizable. You can add or remove anything you like. Here’s a quick list of some additions or substitutions you can make to get started:
- Shaoxing wine
- Shiitake mushrooms
- Water chestnuts
- Fish sauce
- Green beans
- Green onions
- Pork
- Broccoli
- Bamboo shoots
- Baby corn
- Zucchini
- Soy sauce
- Vegetable broth
Have some fun trying out these ideas and incorporating your own with this recipe. Make it according to the recipe to get an idea of the soup flavor profile and go from there.
You Can Make Your Own Delectable Sizzling Rice Soup Recipe
The ingredient list, preparation, and steps to prepare this soup may look like a lot, but it’s easy for anyone to make this at home. If you’re hoping to impress special guests or just some younger people at your table, you can’t go wrong when you add your sizzling rice to a healthy, pleasing favorite.
