House Special Soup (Menu & Recipes for you)

House Special Soup is a soup found at many Chinese restaurants. It’s one of the simplest soups, with a clear broth and thinly sliced vegetables of the variety used in Chinese cooking.

The vegetables are added during cooking and should be removed before serving. For example, carrots may be added during the boiling stage and removed before pouring in the noodles or rice to cook for 3 minutes.

Unfortunately, many vegetables used in special house soup are difficult to find at a regular grocery store. They are instead reserved for use in the restaurant industry. If you don’t have access to the right vegetables, you may want to try using some of the substitutes below or skip this one.

What Is House Special Soup?

House Special Soup is a Chinese soup with many common ingredients used in Chinese cooking and has a mild saltiness. The ingredients are usually cooked in the broth, producing a clear yet flavorful soup that’s easy for taste buds.

House Special Soup is made with Extra-High Heat-Treated Chicken Broth, which makes it a healthier soup option than the other soups on this list. However, there are a few things you should know about this soup.

First, there’s the small problem that Chinese restaurants often call this dish other things like House Special Noodles or House Special Rice. The main thing you need to know about House Special Soup is that it’s an authentic Chinese dish and only serves as an appetizer for larger meals.

10 Best House Special Soup Menu and Recipes:

1. House Special Egg Drop Noodles

For those of you who love egg drop noodles and can’t get enough of them, then you’ll want to try this recipe. While it may not be the best example of egg drop noodles, it is a good appetizer for showing off your sesame rice cooking skills.

How To Make it:

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of water for boiling
• 1 carrot
• 3 stalks of bok choy
• 1 package of dried egg noodles (a little less than ¼ package)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Sesame seeds for garnish, optional

Directions:

Step 1.

Take a large pot and bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Once boiled, add the carrots and bok choy. Bring the mixture back to a boil and let it simmer for 2 minutes.

Step 2.

Remove the carrots and bok choy. If you prefer, remove the skin from the carrots before adding them to the soup.

Step 3.

Please take a medium pot and fill it with ½ gallon of water. Please bring it to a boil and add the eggs to boil vigorously for 3 minutes. Once done, remove them from heat and strain them out.

Step 4.

Take the strained eggs and cut them into thin slices. Soak them in some ice water for 30 seconds to avoid overcooking.

Step 5.

Take a large soup bowl and mix the eggs, carrots, bok choy, and noodles using chopsticks or a spoon so the egg will coat everything evenly and prevent it from sticking together. If you’re using a spoon, stir it gently so as not to mash up the vegetables too much.

Step 6.

Pour the soup evenly into each bowl and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve hot.

2. House Special Beef Soup

If you’re a beef lover, you’ll probably really enjoy this recipe, which is a good snack to eat while watching your favorite sports team or game on TV. This recipe is also simple at home and makes for an easy lunch or dinner. Don’t forget to prep the soup ingredients before preparing this recipe.

How To Make it:

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of water for boiling
• 1 stalk of green onion, chopped into small chunks
• 2 carrots, sliced into thin rounds or diagonal slices
• 4 ounces of extra lean ground beef
• Pork can be used instead, resulting in a less savory flavor.  The meat will be too tough to eat with chopsticks if you use veal.

Directions:

Step 1.

Take a large pot and bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Once boiled, add the carrots and green onion to the mixture. Please bring it back to a spot, then let it simmer for only 2 minutes.

Step 2.

Remove the carrots and green onions from the pot. Cut the beef into small pieces, roughly the same size as the chunks of carrots now removed, and add them to the soup while boiling vigorously for 3 minutes.

Step 3.

Please take a medium pot and fill it with ½ gallon of water. Please bring it to a boil and add the ground beef for a while, boiling vigorously for 4 minutes. Once done, remove them from heat and strain them out.

Step 4.

Put the strained ground beef into a small bowl and mix in 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and one teaspoon of cornstarch using chopsticks or a spoon so that the soy sauce doesn’t clump together with the cornstarch. Stir the mixture briskly until it’s smooth and well-combined.

Step 5.

Take a large soup bowl and mix the carrots, green onions, beef, and noodles using chopsticks or a spoon so the soy sauce will coat everything evenly and prevent it from sticking together. If you’re using a spoon, stir it gently so as not to mash up the ingredients too much.

Step 6.

Pour the soup evenly into each bowl and serve hot.

3. Sesame Rice Noodles

This is a very easy recipe to make and will only take about 10 minutes of your time. It’ll also provide you with a delicious, savory snack whenever you want to take a break from doing whatever you do. This can be easily prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge until ready to eat. This is a great make-ahead recipe because it takes very little time to set up.

How To Make it:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of white rice noodles (soba or shirataki)
• Three tablespoons of soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon of sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon of sugar (optional) (add sugar if you find the dish too salty)

Directions:

Step 1.

Soak the 2 cups of white rice noodles in a large bowl of warm water for 15 minutes until it’s soft and pliable, or even longer if you want to let them soak. When ready, drain out all the water and set it aside.

Step 2.

Take a large pot or wok and add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil to it while heating up on medium/high heat. Add the noodles to the pot and turn the heat up to high. While moving the noodles around with a pair of chopsticks, fry them in the oil until they turn dark brown. This should take about 1 minute.

Step 3.

Take out a small bowl and mix 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, and ½ teaspoon of sugar if desired. Pour this mixture over the noodles while they are still hot and stir well so that everything is coated evenly.

4. Chinese vegetable soup recipe:

This is a very simple recipe, which only requires a handful of ingredients. It is also very useful if you have an outdoor party and plan on serving several dishes.

This soup has prominent flavors in Chinese food, such as ginger, garlic, chives, and peanuts.  The other main flavor in this dish is the bean sauce which gives it a savory taste, and it’s nice to eat with rice.

How To Make this:

Ingredients:

• 2 -3 tablespoons of cooking oil
• 1 medium stalk of green onion, chopped into small chunks
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• One 15 oz. can of chicken broth (I usually buy the one with no MSG)

Directions:

Step 1.  

Bring a medium pot to a boil and add one tablespoon of cooking oil and the green onion while heating on high heat. When the green onion is tender, add in the garlic clove and continue to stir as it cooks for about 30 seconds.

Step 2.  

Add in the chicken broth and the rest of the ingredients except for the sesame seeds, and bring to a boil once again. Once boiling, turn off the heat and garnish with sesame seeds. You can drink this warm or cold with some bread.

5. Spicy Bean Sprouts  Recipe:

This simple Chinese stir-fry recipe requires very little cooking skill but will be appreciated by your guests at an outdoor party.

This recipe is simple. It tastes great and doesn’t take long to make. It can be enjoyed alone or with a bowl of rice.

How To Make it:

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• One 16 oz. can of bean sprouts, drained
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce

Directions:

Step 1.  

Put 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a wok or large pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the bean sprouts and garlic to the pan or wok and stir well.

Step 2.  

Add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce to taste and stir briskly for about 3 minutes. The bean sprouts will become tender once done. You can garnish with sesame seeds for extra flavor if desired. Serve warm or cold with rice as desired.

6. Eggplant with Garlic Sauce Recipe:

This is one of the most delicious and flavorful eggplant recipes ever. It’s a very simple recipe that only requires several ingredients and only about 10 to 15 minutes of your time. I prefer to use fresh garlic, which makes the dish taste much better than the one made from powder. This will be a great choice if you’re looking for a simple appetizer recipe to serve at a small get-together.

How To Make it:

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
• 2 teaspoons of garlic powder (or 2 fresh garlic cloves, minced)
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
• ½ cup of water or vegetable broth (water works fine)
• One small eggplant (cut into ¼-inch slices)

Directions:

Step 1.  

Heat a saucepan or wok on medium/high heat, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and garlic powder, and stir until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add in 1 teaspoon of sesame oil while stirring.

Step 2.  

Add the water or vegetable broth and let it boil for 4 minutes over medium to high heat. Drop in the eggplant slices and then turn off the heat to allow them to sit together for about 2 minutes before serving with rice or another side dish of your choice.

7. Spicy Asian vegetable soup:

This simple recipe requires only three ingredients: soy sauce, honey, and sesame oil. It’s a very spicy soup that tastes great as an appetizer.

How To Make it:

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of honey
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce (can be substituted with more honey if you prefer)
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil

Directions:

Step 1.  

Heat the honey in a pot or wok over medium to high heat to melt the love and ensure it’s smooth while stirring constantly. Add in the soy sauce and go until it becomes thick. Then add in the sesame oil while stirring to ensure the mixture is smooth and the honey is evenly distributed throughout.

Step 2.  

Let it simmer for another 5 minutes, then taste and adjust if necessary with more soy sauce or honey. Serve with rice or another side dish of your choice.

8. Asian shrimp and vegetable soup:

This delicious and healthy recipe takes only 15 minutes to make and can feed up to 4 people depending on appetites. It’s a very salty dish that makes a good appetizer and tastes great with a bowl of white rice.

This dish gives off spicy Asian flavors and is comforting, especially during the cold weather.

How To Make it:

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter or butter
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce (can be substituted with more peanut butter if desired)
• One tablespoon of water (optional)

Directions:

Step 1.  

Heat a pot on medium heat and add the peanut butter. Stir until melted, and then add in the soy sauce and water.  Stir well to distribute the ingredients evenly throughout the mixture. It would help if you had a salty brown paste in the pot and it was ready to be served warm with a side of white rice.

Step 2:   

Garnish the top with sliced green onions if desired.

9. Asian Vegetable and Chicken Soup:

This very easy recipe requires only a few ingredients and can be filled with whatever vegetables you like. It has a very distinct flavor that can be enjoyed as an appetizer. 

How To Make this:

Ingredients:

• 1 boneless chicken breast (cut into bite-size pieces)
• 2 cups of shredded cabbage (half head)
• 1 cup of green onion, chopped (can be omitted if desired)
• ½ teaspoon of sesame oil 

Directions:

Step 1.

In a small pot, heat the sesame oil on high heat. Add in the chicken and stir until it becomes coated in oil. Add in the green onion and cabbage, then go well to let the ingredients cook.

Step 2.  

Add in 1 cup of water and turn off the heat to allow it to simmer until cooked thoroughly (about 10 minutes). Garnish with sesame seeds if desired. Serve warm or cold with a side of rice as desired.

10.  Asian Vegetable and Beef Soup:

This is a very tasty soup that can be served warm or cold. It’s a perfect amount of ingredients and can be filled with whatever vegetables you like. It has a very distinct flavor that can be enjoyed as an appetizer.

How To Make this:

Ingredients:

• One onion, chopped
• 1 cup of shredded cabbage (half a head)
• ½ cup of water chestnuts, sliced 
• ½ teaspoon of sesame oil 

Directions:

Step 1.

In a small saucepan or wok over medium to high heat, add the sesame oil and the onions until they become translucent. Add in the cabbage and water chestnuts, then stir well to cook thoroughly (about 5 minutes).

Step 2.  

Add in 1 cup of water and turn off the heat to allow it to simmer until cooked thoroughly (about 10 minutes).  Garnish with sesame seeds if desired. Serve warm or cold with a side of rice as desired.

Conclusion

Soup is a staple dish that can be enjoyed in various ways depending on what’s available. It can be simple, made from only a few ingredients, or complex and filled with different elements.

Whether you’re preparing a simple chicken or vegetable soup or something more elaborate and filled with various roots and vegetables, the Chinese soup recipe collection will surely help you with your next cooking endeavor.

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