House Special Rice Soup Recipe

Prepare aromatics

Peel and thinly slice the fresh ginger into matchsticks. Smash and lightly crush the garlic cloves. Slice the scallion whites into 1–2 inch lengths.

In a large heavy-bottom pot (6–8 quart), add 8 cups chicken stock and 2 cups water. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat.

Add the sliced ginger, crushed garlic and scallion whites to the simmering stock. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes to infuse flavor.

After 20 minutes, strain out and discard the ginger, garlic and scallion whites if you prefer a clear broth; otherwise, you can leave them in for more texture.

Stir in 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp rice wine, 0.5 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp white pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning—add a little more soy for saltiness or a pinch more sugar to balance.

While the broth simmers, rinse 1 cup uncooked rice under cold running water in a fine-mesh sieve until the rinse water runs mostly clear (about 1 cup cold water used for rinsing). This removes excess surface starch for a cleaner grain.

Add the rinsed rice directly to the simmering broth. Bring the broth to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. The rice will start to break down and thicken the soup slightly.

If you prefer the soup thicker, mix 2 tsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp cold water to form a smooth slurry. Gradually whisk the slurry into the simmering soup and simmer 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened.

While rice cooks, slice chicken thighs thinly across the grain into bite-sized strips. Lightly season the chicken with a pinch of salt and white pepper.

When the rice has been simmering for about 10 minutes and is starting to soften, add the sliced shiitake mushrooms and julienned carrots to the pot and simmer 3–4 minutes.

Add the chicken strips to the simmering soup and cook 5–6 minutes until just cooked through. Taste a piece to ensure no pink remains.

Add the peeled shrimp in the last 2–3 minutes of cooking—they cook quickly and will turn opaque and slightly firm when done.

Beat the 2 eggs lightly in a small bowl. With the soup at a gentle simmer, slowly drizzle the beaten eggs in a thin stream while stirring the soup in a steady circular motion to create silky egg ribbons. Remove pot from heat after eggs set a few seconds.

Trim and halve the baby bok choy. If you prefer them tender-crisp, blanch the bok choy separately in boiling water for 30–45 seconds and then plunge into ice water, or simply add bok choy to the soup for the last 1–2 minutes of cooking to cook through.

Stir in the blanch-cooked or in-pot bok choy and scallion greens. Simmer 1 minute to combine and warm through.

Ladle the rice soup into bowls and top with optional chopped cilantro, 1–2 tbsp fried shallots per bowl, and a small drizzle (about 1 tsp) of chili oil if using. Serve lime wedges on the side for squeezing over each bowl.

Taste final soup and adjust seasoning: a splash more soy sauce or a pinch of salt if needed. If broth reduced too much, stir in up to 1 cup hot water or stock to reach desired consistency and reheat gently.

Serve hot, about 1 to 1 1/2 cups per person depending on appetite. Leftovers store covered in refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stovetop, adding water or stock as needed.