Making Chinese Soup in a Rice Cooker!  Trying ABC Chinese Soup!

Making Chinese Soup in a Rice Cooker! Trying ABC Chinese Soup!

Making Chinese Soup in a Rice Cooker! Trying ABC Chinese Soup!

Tea Name:

ABC Chinese Soup (in a Rice Cooker!)

Traditional Chinese Name:

ABC湯 (ABC tāng).  The easiest name in the Cantonese repertoire for ABC vegetable soup is 雜菜湯 (zá cài tāng), which literally translates to mixed vegetable soup.

Nature:  Neutral

Taste: Sweet

For more videos, you can follow us on YouTube.

I NEEDED TO KNOW!  LOL.

I see so many cool recipes on TikTok and Instagram these days about using rice cookers, so I really wanted to test this out with some of the Chinese soups I make in a normal pot.  

The thinking was to start easy.  Simple ingredients.  Low ingredient count.  Readily accessible stuff.  And something that doesn’t need a longer “fire” boil.

And everyone loves ABC soup!

See my verdict below!

 

What’s involved?

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 60 mins (using the softer cook setting)

Total time: 70 mins

Serves: 2-3 bowls

Ingredients
    Cooking Instructions
    1. Cut your pork ribs into small pieces
    2. Peel and slice your 1 carrot into thin slices (half an inch thick)
    3. Peel and slice your 1 potato into thin slices (half an inch thick)
    4. Slice half a corn into thin pieces
    5. In your rice cooker, I put the meats on the bottom and then layer in the vegetables, putting the herbs on top last and then the inch of salt
    6. Add in enough water to fill to the maximum water line of the rice cooker
    7. Close and select a cook option that is the longest (ie: softer rice, congee, etc..).  Mine was 60 minutes.
    8. Once done cooking, you can use an oil scooper to remove the excess fat and bone bits.  Serve and enjoy!

    The verdict!

    This was a HUGE YES for me!  And I mean, SUCCESS!

    I actually brought the whole rice cooker to my parents’ house for the 3 of us to enjoy and they were surprised how easy it was and how delicious it was.  Truly, amazing and convenient technology at our fingertips!

     

     

    For videos, visit us on YouTube.

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    How Emotions and Organs are Connected in Traditional Chinese Medicine

    How Emotions and Organs are Connected in Traditional Chinese Medicine

    How Emotions and Organs are Connected in Traditional Chinese Medicine

    AND HOW TO USE FOODS AND TEAS TO SUPPORT A HEALTHY BALANCE

    In Traditional Chinese Medicine, there is a connection between your emotions and your overall wellness.  A balanced emotional state in the person will allow for good circulation of Qi (our life force) through our body and in turn creates a healthy person overall.

    One guiding principle in Traditional Chinese Medicine is the yin yang theory.  In the natural world, there exists a balance between 2 opposing and co-existing forces and yet, they also exist in each other.  Our bodies, minds, and souls are designed the same way in that to be healthy, we need to be in harmony between these 2 bipolar states.  Yin is receptive and passive, calm and slow, embodying cold and damp qualities (when we are sleeping).  Yang is its exact opposite in aggressive and active, embodying heat, dryness, and movement (when we are awake).

    One of our mission at The Chinese Soup Lady is to bring these principles into the foods and drinks we consume in order to support harmony.  

    How to use this guide:

    • This is a broad view of how emotions are connected to organs and what they mean from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective.
    • Do see a Chinese Medicine practitioner or doctor as this information is not a designed as a diagnosis, but as supplemental information.

     

    How can Traditional Chinese Medicine concepts help me?

    In the end, TCM is about finding balance in the person as a whole.  While I know primarily it addresses more the physical construct of the body, it also does support the mental portion in some ways such as calming the spirit and calming the mind.

    Paying attention to so many of the little things (that may seem obscure and external) are actually more important than you realize.  TCM is built on a holistic (and more natural) approach that is more general than specific.  For example, looking at yourself as a whole system that is interconnected in all its parts (like your family doctor) rather than having a heart doctor (cardiologist) only look at the heart.  This is because TCM will not look at the heart in isolation and say, oh the heart has a problem!  There usually are challenges and connections with other organs, blood and Qi flow, imbalance of yin or yang in various states.  

    Introducing how emotions are connected to the body through a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective

    Did you know that our emotions are directly connected to the performance of specific organs in our body?  There is a link!

    I found this interesting part in a book I’m reading called “The Untethered Soul” by Michael Singer (came highly recommended to me and I also highly recommend it!), and he says:

    “Fear is caused by blockages in the flow of your energy.  When your energy is blocked, it can’t come up and feed your heart.  Therefore, your heart becomes weak.”

    He means it in a more spiritual sense, but you can feel it.  When there are excess or negative emotions, there are parts of us that we actually FEEL!  For example, when I’m really sad, I feel a tightness in my chest and my breathing is shortened.

    There are also scientific and published articles around the connection between emotions and body, like this one “Understanding Mind-Body Interaction from the Perspective of East Asian Medicine” which makes for an interesting read!

    Over worrying, overthinking, and excess thinking (over use of intellect) can impact the spleen

    • Thinking is good and normal, this is how we are wired to make decisions.  Worrying is also good and normal because it is what keeps us safe and stable.  When you overthink or over worry, that’s when this type of activities overtake other activities and imbalances how and where our energy (Qi) flow.  While the spleen is the organ of thinking (and meditation), it’s very closely connected to the function of the heart to house the mind.  This is also connected to the digestive systems, including stomach and intestines.
    • Excess worry or thinking impacts the spleen.  The spleen from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective is an important organ because it is the source of Qi and blood.  The spleen shows up through the mouth and has outward manifestations through the lips.  Saliva is also the fluid of the spleen.  The spleen helps transform food and water into essence and move it all around the body.
    • Overthinking and over worry and impact to the spleen shows up as: weak or stagnant Qi which can be seen as stomachaches, stomach ulcers, imbalanced water within the body (too much saliva), excess moisture in the body, indigestion, or weight challenges, changes in taste of food (tasteless or bitter tasting all the time), pale lips.
    • To help with overthinking or over worry, there are a few strategies you can try which can include meditation, yoga, breath work (or breathing exercises), finding joyful activities, seeking counselling or coaching or help.

    Joy and happiness impacts the heart

    • The physiological function of the heart is related to joy and happiness.  The heart is in charge of all the body’s mental activities, and controls both the spirit and the mind, excessive joy or other emotional states (such as excess grief, which takes away from joy) can take away the heart’s ability to healthily monitor and manage our Spirit (shen) and Mind.
    • Excess shows up as an imbalance in the heart (and mind as they are connected) and has symptoms like difficulty sleeping, heart palpitations, confusion, dreams or disturbed sleep.
    • The color and condition of the tongue is also an indicator of the state of the heart as this is the outward manifestation of the heart.  You can check for color, sense of taste (or changes in that), tongue rigidity and cracks (if any), and feeling of the tongue (does it feel rough?).
    • To help, rest and sleep aid in filtering your heart and balancing these emotions in the body.  This also includes meditation, disconnecting, reflecting, or acupuncture.
    • One great ingredient to use is Korean ginseng.  It’s warming, supports Qi deficiency, targets the heart, lungs, and spleen, and supports weak or lost appetite (can also be used for excess worry above since that impacts the appetite).  You can make this with a Double-boiled Korean ginseng in Chicken Soup.

    Sadness of grief impacts the lungs or large intestines

    • The lungs are the most delicate organ of the body as it’s most susceptible to pathogens and do not fare well in excess cold (yin) or heat (yang).  The lungs connect and open to the nose and associated with the skin and show up in body hair.  
    • Excess sadness and grief as associated with the lungs and consume Qi in the body.  Prolonged duration of sadness or grief can damage the lungs, as the Qi is not flowing sufficient or appropriately throughout the body as needed for normal functionality.
    • This shows up in symptoms such as shortness or tightness of breath, the tightness of the chest is a one (and damaging if it’s tight over prolonged periods), random or spontaneous sweating (as the lungs ability to perform show up through the skin), and cold or cough (with phelgm from the lungs).
    • To help with this it is important to either address the cause of sadness and grief or find ways to heal from it to bring oneself back into balance.  Seek support, therapy, coaching or counselling, find space and time to reflect and meditate and heal, focus your energy on things that bring you joy, or exercise are all ways to reduce sadness and grief.

    Fear is connected to the kidney

    • Fear is a normal part of our lives.  We have fear so that we can stay safe, physiologically and physically and even psychologically.  However, too much fear to the point it overwhelms is when it can cause damage to the kidneys (which houses the finite essence called Jing).  It is about regulating and managing the fear.
    • Excess shows up insomnia, irritability, dizziness, confusion, mental disorders, 
    • You can’t completely eliminate fears, especially physical ones that pop up on you no matter how much risk you’ve managed, but we can control how we respond, how we plan, and how we manage ourselves around and with fears.  

    Anger is connected to the liver

    • The liver is the organ that is associated with growth and expansion, physically and emotionally.  If the liver’s mission is interrupted (interruption to movement and growth), anger usually results.  This means the liver-fire is strong and the yin and yang is imbalanced.
    • Excess such as anger, frustration, resentment, shows up as dizziness, instable menstruation, insomnia, headaches, poor sleep, or tension in the neck and shoulders
    • A healthy amount of anger is necessary, as when to speak up, enforcing our boundaries, but it is the excess and prolonged excess of this that is damaging.  It is about managing and balancing the appropriate amount and at the right times.

    Being aware is key…

    Remember that Traditional Chinese Medicine is about balance.  Having an awareness of our emotional state is as equally important as our physical state, they are linked.  That’s the key!  While we could be very well balanced physically, we need to pay attention to our emotional states because they actually have impact that manifest inside first and then translate outwards (shows up in the skin, eyes, tongue, face, limbs).  

    See the mind and body as connected and whole rather than separate.  See the organs as connected and shared, rather than as individual organs.  Think of yourself as one unit, one system.

    You are whole.

     

    For more videos, visit us on YouTube.

    For further reading, I’ve found some more scientific and published articles.  Here are some to read up on: 

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    Chinese Herbal Tea Ideas for Traveling!

    Chinese Herbal Tea Ideas for Traveling!

    Chinese Herbal Tea ideas for Traveling

    (A TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE PERSPECTIVE)

    When we think Traditional Chinese medicine or herbal teas, we think of something that’s hard to make, difficult to drink, and full of unknown ingredients.  However, there also exists is beautiful happy medium where Chinese herbal teas can be delightfully delicious, easy-to-make, readily-accessible, and travel ready!  Read on for more!

    One guiding principle in Traditional Chinese Medicine is the yin yang theory.  In the natural world, there exists a balance between 2 opposing and co-existing forces and yet, they also exist in each other.  Our bodies, minds, and souls are designed the same way in that to be healthy, we need to be in harmony between these 2 bipolar states.  Yin is receptive and passive, calm and slow, embodying cold and damp qualities (when we are sleeping).  Yang is its exact opposite in aggressive and active, embodying heat, dryness, and movement (when we are awake).

    One of our mission at The Chinese Soup Lady is to bring these principles into the foods and drinks we consume in order to support harmony.  

    Welcome to the TRAVEL SERIES for Chinese Herbal Teas!

    Since travel is back on and my work requires me to be back in the air, I’ve started to create and take with me some Chinese herbal teas to help with my health, condition, and scale back on coffees and regular teas, substituting them with a more natural choice of drinks.  

    A few key reminders that help with travel:

    • I will always bring a thermal flask with me everywhere I do.  You can fill up with hot water in the lounges, any restaurant, or in Asian airports, anywhere in the airport (seriously, HKIA or Hong Kong International Airport has hot water dispensers everywhere!)
    • I will also pre-create my teas and add all the ingredients for 1-2 cups of tea together
    • I tend to bring ingredients that don’t spoil easily and have good dry shelf live (such as dried flowers)
    • Double check that the hotel or place you’re staying in has a fridge you can use, such as a mini fridge or bar fridge.  The ingredients tend to be small enough that you can slot them in between the drinks.  This is great for dried ingredients such as dried red dates, or longans, or wolfberries.
    • I will also sometimes bring with me small portions of honey or rock sugar to supplement some of the teas 

    See the mind and body as connected and whole rather than separate.  See the organs as connected and shared, rather than as individual organs.  Think of yourself as one unit, one system.

    You are whole.

     

    The great thing about understanding how yin and yang is balanced is that this also pairs with the cooking styles of Chinese soups!

    You can follow this post on “How Different Styles of Chinese Soups are Made“.

     

    WHERE YOU CAN BUY THESE TEAS & MY POT!

    This is the type of stove top safe tea pot that I use for making my teas!  This is great because it's dishwasher safe, it's an all-in-one, easy-to-clean pot that I use. 

    I bought these amazing eco friendly individually bagged pu'er tea which I carry to the office or on travel!  You can find these on amazon and they come highly rated!

    I have also tried these oolong versions of the individually bagged teas!  You can also get this from amazon.  They are amazing!

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    Coughing?  Stuffy Nose?  Congestion?  Try this Chinese Herbal Tea with Licorice, Cinnamon, and Luo Han Guo

    Coughing? Stuffy Nose? Congestion? Try this Chinese Herbal Tea with Licorice, Cinnamon, and Luo Han Guo

    Coughing? Stuffy Nose? Congestion? Try this Chinese Herbal Tea with Licorice, Cinnamon, and Luo Han Guo

    Tea Name:

    Chinese Herbal Tea with Licorice, Cinnamon, and Luo Han Guo

    Traditional Chinese Name:

    止咳茶 (zhǐké chá) – direct translation here is “anti-cough” tea.  There are many teas that have earned the right to this label, so it’s just easier to use it as such instead of labeling all the ingredients.

    Nature:  Cooling

    Taste: Sweet

    For more videos, you can follow us on YouTube.

    This tea is perfect for tonifying blood and Qi and clearing the toxicity that comes with stuffy congestion in the lungs and nose (commonly associated with a thick, green or yellow phlegm).  It moistens the stuffy stuff (like phlegm) and helps to stop coughs.

    A great way to check if this tea is good for you is to check the condition of your tongue.  If it’s got a thick, yellow or white coating on top, it’s a good indication there’s excess yin in the body.  That totally makes sense because I went swimming when I was already feeling a little under the weather.  And with the cold pool, that’s excess yin in my body and the dampness!

    You can check this article that explains the balance of yin and yang in the body, AN INTRODUCTION TO YIN AND YANG IN OUR EVERYDAY SOUPS AND FOOD.

     

    What’s involved?

    Prep time: 2 mins

    Cook time: 13 mins

    Total time: 15 mins

    Serves: 2 cups

    Ingredients
    Cooking Instructions
    1. In a stovetop safe pot, add all the ingredients (except the rock sugar)
    2. Add in your water
    3. Boil on high until it fully boils and then reduce to a low-medium heat for another 10 mins
    4. Add in the rock sugar and let it fully dissolve
    5. Serve and enjoy!
    Any benefits?
    • This Chinese herbal tea is great if you’ve got a lot of congestion, particularly in the nose and lungs (the thick type)
    • This tea also helps relieve coughs
    • It is a slightly warming tea, helping to drive the excess yin from the body
    • Excess yin tends to show up if you’ve been overexposed to cold or damp conditions (such as swimming, outdoor winter sports, or cold exposure)

    For videos, visit us on YouTube.

    EQUIPMENT USED

    To answer your questions on what equipment I'm using, I've built a section here where you can find and explore what I'm using to make soups.  Ingredients are a little harder, but I will do my best as I source them around.  However, you can always message me on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or Facebook, and I will reply and try to point you in some direction!  

    A great help for fish or small bones in soups, including small ingredients such as barley, fox nuts, spices just to keep everything together.

    A MUST HAVE in the kitchen!  Energy saving, cost effective, and perfect for busy chefs!  Check out my article here that explains it.

    Another MUST HAVE in the kitchen for soups!  It's so fine that it will scoop off the top oil and foam layer when using meats in your soup!

    I use these types of stove top safe tea pots to make most of my herbal teas!

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    Fragrant Vegetables in Salmon Soup

    Fragrant Vegetables in Salmon Soup

    Fragrant Vegetables in Salmon Soup

    Soup Name:

    Fragrant vegetables in salmon soup (Cantonese-styled)

    Traditional Chinese Name:

    雜菜蕃茄三文魚湯 (zá cài fānjiā sānwènyú tāng)

    Nature:  Slightly cooling

    Taste: Sweet and savory

    For more videos, you can follow us on YouTube.

    Tomatoes in a fragrant fish broth is a very common soup in the Cantonese soup repertoire.  It is commonly found in household soups and restaurants in Hong Kong.  The vegetables are optional, but do add to the abundance of the soup.  And there are many variations of this soup available as each chef customizes to their creative juices!

    You can essentially use any fish for this type of soup.  Generally though, the Chinese will use more commonly found and affordable fish and usually the heads and tails and bones, reserving the flesh for steaming or dishes.

     

    TIP!

     

    I would recommend using a soup bag for any fish soups, however for this one, salmon bones are quite large and I was lazy and wanted to fry everything in one shot, so opted for not using one.  A soup bag helps keep soup bone safe and allows you to remove the fish easily and keep all the disintegration together.  I’ve bought these ones from Amazon, which are amazing!

    What’s involved?

    Prep time: 30 mins

    Cook time: 2 hours

    Total time: 2 hours and 30 mins

    Serves: 10 bowls

    Ingredients
    Cooking Instructions
    1. Let’s start by frying the fish first in some ginger to seal the flavours and get it fragrant (and not fishy).  You can use a shallow pan or your soup pot (that’s what I’m doing in my cast iron pot because I was feeling lazy!).
    2. I’ll wash the fish in warm water first and then pat dry with paper towels.
    3. In your pot or pan on medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil (enough to cover the pan) and then gently lay your fish flat so as much surface area of the fish can cook
    4. At this time, I will also make space for the pork shank to fry (instead of blanch in boiling water).  This is also because I was feeling lazy and wanted that fried fragrant flavour!
    5. Fry for 5 minutes or until it begins to golden brown.  It doesn’t need to be fully cooked, but at least the skin is browned. 
    6. Turn the fish on the other side and fry for another 5 minutes.  
    7. You can also rotate the pork shank around as it browns.
    8. At this time, you can prepare your vegetables, cut into smaller pieces.
    9. If you want, you can now put your fish pieces into a soup bag to begin the soup boiling to prevent the bones to disintegrate and for easier removal from the pot.
    10. I will also use the pan or pot to brown some of the potatoes, but this step is optional
    11. Add in the water to the soup, be sure to leave a bit of space to allow for the all ingredients
    12. Then add in all your ingredients to the soup
    13. Cover and bring to a full boil (about 20 minutes on full boil)
    14. And reduce to a low boil for another 2 hours
    15. Serve and enjoy!

    This soup is also packed full of collagen!  The fish heads are the key ingredients that really to release all this sticky goodness into the soup.  One of the amazing things of using fish heads is both to not waste any part of the fish and also the amount of amazing collagen that’s available in the soup!

    EQUIPMENT USED

    To answer your questions on what equipment I'm using, I've built a section here where you can find and explore what I'm using to make soups.  Ingredients are a little harder, but I will do my best as I source them around.  However, you can always message me on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or Facebook, and I will reply and try to point you in some direction!  

    A great help for fish or small bones in soups, including small ingredients such as barley, fox nuts, spices just to keep everything together.

    A MUST HAVE in the kitchen!  Energy saving, cost effective, and perfect for busy chefs!  Check out my article here that explains it.

    Another MUST HAVE in the kitchen for soups!  It's so fine that it will scoop off the top oil and foam layer when using meats in your soup!

    I use these types of stove top safe tea pots to make most of my herbal teas!

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    A Chinese Herbal Tea to Nourish, Heal, and Strengthen the Lungs

    A Chinese Herbal Tea to Nourish, Heal, and Strengthen the Lungs

    A Chinese Herbal Tea to Nourish, Heal, and Strengthen the Lungs

    Tea Name:

    Nourishing, Healing, and Strengthening Chinese Herbal tea for the lungs (and cooling)

    Traditional Chinese Name:

    羅漢果雪梨茶 (luó hàn guǒ xuě lí chá)

    Nature:  Cooling

    Taste: Sweet and sour

    (You can read this article on the impact on your body of different food tastes!)

    For more videos, you can follow us on YouTube.

    I’m making this tea out of a request from one of my readers who is from NYC and now dealing with all the crazy smog, dust, and smoke that you’ve been getting from Canada!  WE ARE SO SORRY!  Toronto isn’t as bad today, but I hear it’s going to get worse over the weekend.  Regardless, I immediately went to my pantry and pulled out my handy dandy luo han guo and designed a cooling, strengthening, and healing tea for your lungs.  The idea is because it’s dry heat, you’ll want something that’s going to help cool the body and lungs and clean it out.  You can add a few slices of dried tangerine peels as well. 

    Let’s hope it clears soon and that there’s some relief in the weather with some rain to help put out all the raging fires across Canada and US.  In the meantime, stay safe and have some healing herbal teas!  Sending lots of love out there!!

    ❤️❤️❤️

     

    This tea is perfect for nourishing, healing, cooling, and strengthening the lungs and supporting dry coughs (caused by excess heat or yin deficiency) and sore throats.

    The only fresh ingredient you’ll need is the fresh snow pears, but everything else can be found in your soup pantry! 

    It’s a quick boil, suitable for the whole family, you can also drink both hot and cold (although you know my take on drinking cold things as one who has studied Traditional Chinese Medicine, lol).  Enjoy! 

     

    What’s involved?

    Prep time: 10 mins

    Cook time: 15 mins

    Total time: 25 mins

    Serves: 2 cups

    Ingredients

     

    • rock sugar optional, but taste test first!
    Cooking Instructions
    1. Using the flat side of a large blade, smash the luo han guo until you can remove the middle of the fruit.  I will only use the dried skin for this tea.  Use about half as the golden luo han guo isn’t as sweet as it’s brown counterpart.
    2. Cut up your fresh snow pear, keeping the skin on.  I will cube into bite-sized pieces so I can also eat with the tea using a spoon!  Delicious and refreshing!
    3. In a stove top safe tea pot, add all the ingredients together and boil on medium heat for 5 minutes until it fully boils and reduce to a low boil for 10 minutes as to try not to reduce too much of the water.  
    4. When it’s ready, you’ll notice that the tea has turned into a beautiful golden yellow colour.  This is a good indication that the luo han guo is seeping out into the tea!  
    5. Serve and enjoy!  Don’t forget to eat the fresh snow pears as part of your tea!
    Any benefits?
    • This soup is perfect for nourishing and tonifying the lungs
    • It helps with cough, especially a dry cough where there is Yin deficiency (or appears as heaty)
    • It’s a sweet tea that is perfect for the whole family
    • It’s a cooling tea and helps cool and lubricate the lungs

    For videos, visit us on YouTube.

    The monk fruit!  This is the slightly less dry version.  You’ll notice it’s more green and less brown.  This one is a little more expensive, coming in at $2 CAD per monk fruit.  You’ll also notice a thin layer of sugared coating, so it is a bit sticky to touch, but that’s just the sugars of the fruit on the skin.  The great thing about the greener version is that it isn’t as pungent or sweet, so you can use half in a soup to give is just enough of that flavour.  If it’s the heavily dried version, I will only use a quarter in 3L of soup water.  This is also great in teas!!  

    EQUIPMENT USED

    To answer your questions on what equipment I'm using, I've built a section here where you can find and explore what I'm using to make soups.  Ingredients are a little harder, but I will do my best as I source them around.  However, you can always message me on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or Facebook, and I will reply and try to point you in some direction!  

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    I use these types of stove top safe tea pots to make most of my herbal teas!

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    GIVE YOUR LOVE OF SOUP.

    FOLLOW US AND SHARE.