What are the best soup ingredients for natural collagen?
I really love these soups and ingredients because these are natural sources of collagen, which help keeps me looking younger with firmer and smoother skin. You know you’re having collagen when the soup or sauce or food is like sticky and gelatinous. Your lips literally stick together and that’s a great sign of collagen content.
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.
What is natural collagen?
From a Chinese soup and cooking perspective:
- There are 2 types of collagen that the Chinese look at when it comes to foods, soups, desserts, and ingredients.
True protein collagen
- I use this term because collagen, true collagen (or native collagen [1]) is found in animals. It’s a structural protein found in animals, such as bones, hair, teeth, ligaments, cartilage, or tendons. This is why these ingredients are highly prized as collagen rich (and skin enhancing) ingredients
Booster collagen products
- These products are gelatinous in nature and often can be spoke of “collagen-like”, but they don’t contain collagen. Plant-based products may support collagen production but do not contain collagen themselves. Such ingredients are like snow fungus, wood ear fungus, or peach gum to name a few.
What are the benefits of this natural collagen?
There are many science-backed benefits of collagen in diets, although taken in moderation (as all things).
- Collagen helps with glowing skin and anti-aging. It improves skin elasticity, hydration and UV protection. Studies show hydrolyzed collagen peptides reduce wrinkles by stimulating new collagen synthesis.
- Collagen supports our joint and bone health. Collagen maintains cartilage integrity, easing osteoarthritis pain and supporting bone density.
- Collagen helps in gut health and digestion. Gelatin from collagen soothes the gut lining, aiding digestion and reducing inflammation.
- Collagen strengthens hair and nails. Collagen’s amino acids fortify keratin, the protein that strengthens hair and nails.
ALL THE COLLAGEN SOUPS AND INGREDIENTS!
Here are the most common collagen rich ingredients and the soups, teas, or desserts they’re made in. I don’t always use all the ingredients (that’s really based on taste preferences), but here are my favourites! 💗
- My favourite and all-time most common ingredient! I will add additional chicken feet into pork or beef bones soup as well, or make the chicken feet as a stand alone stew!
- I have grown to love this ingredient over time and the pig’s feet in black vinegar is one of my favourite soups! This is definitely an acquired taste and ingredient growing up from a more western view, but it is truly an amazing ingredient!
Fish heads, fish parts, fish skin:
- When I do make fish soup, I tend to use the fish heads or if I’m using the whole fish, they will be little fish. Fish heads are a great source of collagen!!
- I’ve always been afraid to use fish maw (because I thought it was difficult to buy and make), but it’s not that bad! This is a special ingredient in my pantry and I will make it 2-3 times a year!
REFERENCES:
- [1] “Collagen: What It Is, Types, Function & Benefits.” Cleveland Clinic, 10 Jan. 2025, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/23089-collagen.
- “M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. ‘Is Bone Broth Good for You?’ MDAnderson.org, 22 Jan. 2024, www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/is-bone-broth-good-for-you.h00-159694389.html
. Accessed 13 Sept. 2025.“
- “Collagen ‑ The Nutrition Source.” Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/collagen/
. Accessed 13 Sept. 2025.
- All the Q&As (from all 5 channels consolidated)
- Exclusive content for members
- Meet other soup-ies!
- Get the down-loadables
- Explore the library of knowledge
- Start small. Start simple. Repeat.
- The ultimate Parent’s Guide to Making Chinese soups for children – learn TCM concepts, which informs soup design, and base recipes, along with an ingredient tracker.
GIVE YOUR LOVE OF SOUP.
FOLLOW US AND SHARE.
ON YOUTUBE
ON INSTAGRAM
0 Comments