Every time I make Shanghai-Style Red Vegetable Soup (罗宋汤, luo song tang), images of well-dressed men and women dining in European-style cafes flash in my mind––scenes from many movies and TV shows about the old Shanghai. These fancy folks were either drinking coffee, eating a thin steak, or slurping this fancy red vegetable soup, maybe along with a piece of bread.
The Origins of This Shanghai Soup Recipe
In the early 1900s, people from all over the world came to big cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Harbin. Without getting too much into history of that period, they also brought with them their architecture, cuisines and western manners.
Drinking coffee at that time was in vogue and eating at Western-style restaurants was a privilege for the rich and famous. Commoners could only watch through the windows.
Shanghai-Style Red Vegetable Soup, or luo song tang (罗宋汤) is probably an adaptation of European vegetable soups, made with beets, potatoes and cabbage.
The version of the soup in China used tomatoes, which is what most Chinese cooks use today. Since I was young, I’ve always considered this soup to be special. I always remember those glamorous movie scenes and the actors sipping their luo song tang!
My Grandmother’s Recipe
It was my grandma, who lived through that time period in Shanghai, that taught me how to make this soup. She also taught me to make my favorite pork chop recipe: Asian Pan-Fried Pork Chops.
It probably comes as no surprise that I’ve adjusted her recipe a bit, reducing the tomato/tomato paste to make sure the sourness of the tomatoes doesn’t overpower the soup.
The result is a perfectly balanced red vegetable soup with a strong beef flavor from the addition of oxtails. The original recipe also calls for butter, but in my opinion, the oxtails already provide plenty of richness and robust beef flavor.
Another reason to love making this soup? Once you pat and dry the oxtails, there’s no stopping and starting. Turn on the heat, and the soup is underway. So grab your soup pot and make this for your next fall or winter dinner!
Luo Song Tang Recipe Instructions
Start by rinsing 2 pounds of oxtails and pat them very dry. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a thick-bottomed soup pot over medium heat to brown the oxtails.
Brown the oxtails lightly on both sides.
While that’s happening, slice 2 large onions, smash 6 cloves of garlic, and add them in once the oxtails are finished browning. Stir well and cook until the onions turn soft.
While the onions are cooking, cut 3 small tomatoes into rough chunks. Add them to the pot when the onions have softened. Clear a space in the center of the pot, and add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, letting it fry lightly. Stir and cook until the tomatoes are slightly dissolved and the oil in the pot turns reddish––a few minutes over medium heat.
Now add 10 cups water, and turn up the heat to high. Cut the carrots and cabbage, and add them to the pot, along with 5 bay leaves, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for 60 minutes.
After 60 minutes of simmering, peel and cut the potatoes, and add them to the soup. Bring it to boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for 30 more minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Salt to taste before serving.
Soups (and stews) always taste better the next day, so don’t fret if you have leftovers. Freeze the soup for another meal, and you will be very happy that you did!
Shanghai-Style Red Vegetable Soup (罗宋汤 - Luo Song Tang)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds oxtails
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 large onions
- 6 cloves garlic
- 3 small tomatoes (about 12 ounces/340g, roughly chopped)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 10 cups water (2.4L)
- 2 large carrots (about 12 ounces/340g, cut into large chunks)
- ¼ cabbage (about 12 ounces, roughly chopped)
- 5 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound potatoes (450g, about 2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks)
Instructions
- Rinse 2 pounds of oxtails and pat them very dry. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a thick-bottomed soup pot over medium heat to brown the oxtails.
- Brown the oxtails lightly on both sides. While that’s happening, slice 2 large onions, smash 6 cloves of garlic, and add them in once the oxtails are finished browning. Stir well and cook until the onions turn soft.
- While the onions are cooking, cut 3 small tomatoes into rough chunks. Add them to the pot when the onions have softened. Clear a space in the center of the pot, and add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, letting it fry lightly. Stir and cook until the tomatoes are slightly dissolved and the oil in the pot turns reddish––a few minutes over medium heat.
- Now add 10 cups water, and turn up the heat to high. Cut the carrots and cabbage, and add them to the pot, along with 5 bay leaves, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for 60 minutes.
- After 60 minutes of simmering, peel and cut the potatoes, and add them to the soup. Bring it to boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for 30 more minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Salt to taste before serving.
- Soups (and stews) always taste better the next day, so don’t fret if you have leftovers. Freeze the soup for another meal, and you will be very happy that you did!
nutrition facts
Looks amazing. I like this version. If using slow cooker should I aim for the same time as suggested in the recipe? Thank you.
Hi Tammy, I don’t own a slow cooker, but you can always use my recipe as a guideline and adjust accordingly :-)
I stumbled across your recipe and immediately was taken back in time to my grandma’s kitchen. When my grandma lived in Shanghai, she lived next to a Russian lady and even though my grandmother didn’t speak any Russian and her neighbor didn’t speak any Shanghainese, she learned how to make this soup. It’s a family favorite! 真宗！
Wow, they should make movies about stories like this. I bet there were so many great anecdotes that people like me would find fascinating! :-)
I stumbled on this recipe last week and immediately went to the grocery store to get the ingredients. I didn’t know that luo song tang is that easy to make! I don’t like cabbage so didn’t add it. I’ll add it next time to see if there’s a difference. This is one of my all time favorite HK-style cafe soup. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Hi Juliana, I’m so glad that you enjoyed the recipe. The cabbage really does add a lot to the overall flavor of this soup. It’s highly recommended :-)
Thank you for the recipe! I rarely make soup, but this reminded me of mom when she use to make it. I’m sure she didn’t add Basil back in those days. I added but didn’t notice a difference or it was just too tasty all around to distinguish the taste! I added 2 star anise’s but couldn’t figure out that taste either.
The oxtail gave the soup a wonderful light creamy texture full of flavors! Thank you for a scrumptious recipe! Will try the rice cake soup next.
I agree, Grace, it’s a very tasty soup with the oxtail and the right mixture of vegetables :-)
Luo Song Tang- WOW brought back good memories of when mom use to cook it and quite frequently . Forgot all about that soup. Will definitely cook up this recipe! Thank you for posting.
You are very welcome, Grace, hope you like this recipe :-)
my brain always transliterated this soup into “Russian soup”…
My mother made a version of this a lot.
I have tried to make her version from memory and I think I got one that gets close…
what I made has a lot of similar ingredients to what you have :)
I am glad to hear that, Christina. That means I am on the right track. :-)
I think my mom used either stew meat or oxtails, probably depending on what she could get her hands on, though I vaguely remember that she made oxtail soup that was similar to this but it was two different soups, since usually when she made oxtail soup, it didn’t have cabbage in it, and did have tomato soup (the Campbells stuff).
Thank you for this! It makes me so happy. My family always makes it with just sliced ham and cabbage for a quicker version. I’ll definitely have to try the oxtail variation.
PS Your imagery is spot on and makes me want to cry. I remember having luo song tang in one of those European style, historic restaurants when I was little (I think it was called Red House?) and it really brings me back.
The thing about being old is that we have a lot of stories to tell :-) Glory, just so you know, the red house is still there in Shanghai if you decide to visit Shanghai one day :-)
One of my all time favorite soups! So quick and delicious (I used beef short ribs and a pressure cooker, meat was tender in 30 min), perfect for a busy mom. The best part is the abundant vegetables. My 1 year old and 4 year olds both loved the soup!!!
Love your comment, Ming! Thank you so much.
A truly amazing soup and a wonderful story to go with it! What a great post Judy! Being Europeans ourselves we are totally in tune with this recipe:) We loved that you added many bay leaves, they make all the difference, don’t they? We will definitely try it, perhaps adding 3-4 whole spice berries as well, they way we do it for similar stews here, as they pair excellently with the bay leaves. Have you ever tried it?
Thank you for another fantastic post dear, pinned!
Sending you all our love,
Mirella and Panos
Hi Mirella and Panos, I’ve not tried spice berries. But I trust they will add a refreshing citrus flavor to the soup.
This soup always takes me back to my childhood in Shanghai. I loved having western food at the Hong Fang Zi restaurant. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Hi Chen, so you were one of those fancy people eating western food in those fancy western restaurants back in those days?!?! Nice to meet you!!! :-)