A compilation of Chinese lotus root soup recipes featuring ingredients from pork, chicken, peanuts, dried cuttlefish, dried tangerine peel, to basic vegetables. There is something for every palate, even vegans and Muslims.
Do you know there are 2 types of lotus root?
One is smaller with 7 holes and the other is larger with 9 holes. According to the video below, the 7-hole root is more suitable for soup because it is denser and contains a higher starch content. The 9-hole lotus root is larger, paler and has a higher water content. It is better for salads and stir-frying.
Lotus Root Soup Recipes
Recipe 1: Lotus Root Pork Ribs Soup
The most popular ingredient in a lotus root soup is pork ribs. This recipe is a version with only a few red dates for sweetness.
Ingredients
- 600g lotus root
- 300g pork ribs
- 5 red dates 红枣 (hong zao), pits removed
- 1.5 litre water
- Salt to taste
Directions
- Wash and clean the lotus root of any mud and dirt. Peel it or scrub thoroughly
- Slice the root cross-wise about 1 inch thick so that they look like wheels
- Add a tbsp of rice vinegar into a basin of water and soak the slices to prevent browning
- Parboil the pork ribs for about 2 minutes
- Rinse to remove any blood and grit and trim off excess fat
- Bring the 1.5 litre water to a boil in a soup pot. If using a slow cooker or instant pot, use boiling water
- Add the pork ribs, lotus roots and red dates
- Bring the water back to a boil then lower the heat to simmer for about 1.5 hours or until the pork ribs are soft. For the slow cooker, put on high and cook for 2 to 3 hours. Adjust the amount of water for the slow cooker. It should be enough to cover all the ingredients but not more than 80% full
- Add salt to taste
Recipe 2: Lotus Root Peanut Soup
To the basic soup recipe, you can add 2 ingredients commonly found in lotus root soup of Southern Chinese influence: dried cuttlefish and peanuts. See how it is done in the video below by Nyonya Cooking.
Ingredients
- 100g pork ribs
- 300g lotus root, washed and peeled
- 1 small (about 75g) dried squid, rinse and clean (optional)
- 1 litre water
- 100g raw peanuts
- 4 Chinese dried red dates, seeds removed
- Salt to taste
Directions
- Slice the lotus root into thick slices
- Slice or trim the dried squid into smaller pieces
- Bring the water to a boil in a soup pot
- Add all the ingredients
- Lower the heat to a simmer and simmer for about 1 hour or until the lotus root is done. If you want softer lotus root, lengthen the cooking time.
Recipe 3: Lotus Root Chicken Feet Soup
Lotus root soup is traditionally cooked with pork ribs, but if you do not eat pork, you may substitute with chicken.
This recipe uses chicken feet, peanuts and a pressure cooker. If you do not like or cannot find chicken feet, substitute with other chicken parts.
Ingredients
- 1 section of lotus root
- 300g raw peanuts, soaked for 2 hours
- 1 kg chicken feet or chicken parts
- 2 pieces of dried cuttlefish
- 1.5 litre water
See how it is done in this video:
Recipe 4: Halal Lotus Root Soup
This lotus root soup is prepared by a Muslim chef using kampung chicken (the equivalent of free-range in Southeast Asia). He also offers a tip about soaking the raw peanuts for 2 hours to reduce the colour of the skin and make them easier to soften.
Ingredients
- ½ of Kampung Chicken
- 250g lotus Root
- 200g raw peanuts
- 8 red dates
- 60g dried squid
- 2 litre water
- Salt and pepper to taste
Recipe 5: Vegan Lotus Root Soup with Cashew nuts
This recipe uses cashew nuts in place of meat. The nuts increase the fat content of the soup. It also includes carrot and corn to sweeten and bulk up the soup.
Ingredients
- 400g lotus root
- 300g corn on the cob
- 300g carrot
- 80g cashew nuts
- 20g sweet and bitter apricot kernels
- 2 slices ginger
- 3 litres water
- Salt to taste
See how to cook this soup in this video
Recipe 6: Japanese Lotus Root Soup
A Japanese lotus root soup that is also vegetarian. This is so different from the Chinese lotus root soup. Firstly, it is a quick soup. The root is sliced thinly so it takes less time.
The ingredients are also different. Red miso, shiitake mushrooms, and silken tofu, making this a great winter soup. Imagine digging into this big pot of steamy goodness with the winter winds howling outside.
Ingredients
- 4 cups kombu broth
- 1 large leek thinly sliced
- 1 carrot, thinly sliced
- 5 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 16 thin slices lotus root
- 1 packet soft tofu
- 2-3 tbsp red miso
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
Directions
- Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water for 30 minutes
- Drain, remove the stems and slice thinly
- Slice the leek and carrot into thin slices
- Bring the kombu broth to a boil in a pot
- Add the leek, carrot, mushrooms and lotus root slices to the broth and simmer for about 3 minutes
- Cut the tofu into small bite-sized cubes
- Add the tofu to the simmering broth
- Dissolve the miso paste using a few spoonful of the broth
- Add the miso liquid to the broth
- Remove from heat and serve with the green onions as garnish
Recipe 7: Lotus Root Red Bean Soup
This recipe is great for pregnant ladies.
Ingredients
- 1 section lotus root
- 200g red beans
- 4 honey dates
- 2 litres chicken stock
- Salt and pepper
Directions
- Wash and soak the red beans overnight. Drain before use
- Clean lotus root and rinse well. Slice and soak in water with a splash of vinegar to prevent browning
- Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a soup pot. Add the red beans and cook at high heat for 15 minutes
- Lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour
- Add lotus root and honey dates. Continue to simmer until the lotus root is done
- Add salt and pepper to taste
Lotus Root Rice Porridge Recipes
Lotus root can also be added to rice porridge to make what some may consider Chinese thick soup.
Rice porridge is a good base for a lot of ingredients and lotus root is one of these ingredients. I’ve got 2 simple recipes here that I hope you will try.
Recipe 8: Vegetarian Lotus Root Rice Porridge with Goji
Goji berries are sweet and the lotus root is crunchy. A nice contrast.
It is also a very nice gentle nourishing dish for the elderly. Make sure the lotus root is cooked till it is very soft so that it is not too hard on the teeth and gums. It can be grated if time permits.
Ingredients
- 200g lotus root
- 1 cup of rice
- 8 cups of water
- 1 tbsp goji berries
- 1/2 tsp salt
Directions
- Wash and soak the goji berries till soft
- Wash and peel the lotus root
- Cut the lotus root into thin slices (cross-section), or grate
- Wash and soak the rice for 30 minutes
- Place the rice and lotus root in a pot and add the water
- Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer
- When the porridge is done and the lotus root is soft, add the goji berries and salt
- Simmer for about 5 minutes before serving
Recipe 9: Lotus Root Rice Porridge with Pork
Ingredients
- 225g fresh lotus root
- 150g lean pork
- 10 goji berries
- 12 cups of water
- 1 cup of rice
- Pinch of corn starch
- Pinch of salt
- Dash of vinegar
Directions
- Wash and peel the lotus root. Slice cross section and soak in cold water with a little vinegar
- Clean the pork, slice thinly and coat sparingly with corn starch
- Bring the water to a boil and add the rice
- Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes
- Add the lotus root and cook for 30 minutes
- Add the pork slices, goji berries and salt
- Cook for a further 10 minutes until the pork is cooked
We have come to the end of this list. Did you try any of the recipes or cooking ideas? If yes, how did it turn out? Let me know by leaving me a comment.
Happy cooking!
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