Sizzling rice soup is an old Chinese American classic that has been all but forgotten. Made with a medley of seafood, tasty meats, and fresh vegetables in a light broth, it’s finished with hot crispy rice for an impressive sizzle right at the table.
It’s a dinner in itself or a fantastic soup to start off a memorable meal with family, friends, and guests.
What is Sizzling Rice Soup?
Sizzling rice soup is made with a flavorful chicken and pork broth, with lots of vegetables, meats, and seafood, topped off with crispy toasted rice that has been fried in oil until puffy.
The hot, freshly fried crispy rice sizzles when frying oil hits the water content of the hot soup. The result is a wok hei-like flavor that truly makes this soup unique.
That crispy rice is known as guō bā, which is often used as a base for saucy dishes. The scorched rice absorbs the flavor of the sauce, while also having a signature crispy texture.
A Fast-Paced Recipe—Grab a Kitchen Helper!
This soup doesn’t need to actually cook for very long, but the preparation does take a little bit of advanced planning to prepare the individual ingredients.
Once you’re ready to make the soup, things come together quickly. When the soup is done cooking, you’ll need to do a little bit of multi-tasking to make sure you’re ready to quickly fry the rice and prepare for the payoff of the sizzle! A second person can help you get it all done.
The ability to prep in advance makes this a fun dish for entertaining guests. When served family style at the table, you and your family and friends will feel like you’re at a restaurant!
Sizzling Rice Soup: Recipe Instructions
1. Make the sizzling rice:
Spread the cooked rice onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the rice. Let the rice sit overnight on the counter or in the refrigerator to dry. Alternatively, you can toast it in a 325°F oven for 20 minutes.
Tip!
Rice dried overnight will puff up more and take on a lighter texture (we recommend this method). But if you’re short on time, rice toasted in the oven will have a pleasant nutty flavor, though it won’t puff as much.
2. Prepare the soup ingredients:
Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms overnight in 1 cup of room temperature water, or for 2 hours in boiling water. Once rehydrated, squeeze the water from the mushrooms, trim off any tough stems, and thinly slice. Set aside the mushrooms, and reserve the mushroom soaking water.
Velvet the chicken by mixing it with 2 teaspoons water, 1½ teaspoons oyster sauce and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Set aside.
Also prep the rest of the ingredients and have them ready:
Boil 6 cups of water in your wok. Add the velveted chicken. Using your wok spatula, gently swirl the chicken in the water for 45 seconds, or until just cooked and opaque. Remove using a spider strainer or slotted spoon.
Then add the scallops and shrimp. Again, cook them for 45 seconds, or just until opaque. Take care not to overcook them.
Remove from the wok, set aside, discard the water and wash the wok.
3. Prepare the Soup:
Set your wok over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil, the garlic, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms. If using fresh baby bella mushrooms instead of canned straw mushrooms (which are pre-cooked), add them to the wok now. Stir fry for 1 minute, or until the carrots are slightly softened.
Add the bok choy stems…
And the napa cabbage. Stir fry for another minute.
Next, add the pork and chicken stock and the reserved mushroom soaking water, taking care to leave behind any sediment from the mushroom soaking water.
Bring the soup to a simmer.
Add the ham…
And the pre-cooked straw mushrooms. Let the soup come back up to a simmer.
Meanwhile, start heating the oil to fry the sizzling rice. You will want to have it ready once the soup is done. Fill a small, deep pot (or separate wok) about halfway with frying oil, and heat to 350°F.
Once the soup simmers, cook for 1 minute, and add the cooked chicken, shrimp, and scallops.
Stir and cook for 1 more minute. Add the snow peas…
And the leafy portions of the baby bok choy.
Bring the soup back up to a simmer. Add salt, ground white pepper and sesame oil, stirring to dissolve. Taste and add additional seasonings as needed.
Transfer the soup to a large serving bowl and move it to the table.
Now it’s time to make the last element: the sizzling rice!
4. Fry the rice & serve:
Just before serving the soup, fry the dried toasted rice in your pre-heated oil until crispy, for about 30 seconds.
Depending on the size of your pot, you’ll need to fry in 2-3 batches.
Once each batch of crispy rice is finished, remove using a strainer or slotted spoon.
Immediately add it to the soup…
And watch it sizzle as the hot oil hits the soup!
You can add the rice in small batches to get a few more sizzling moments at the table, and maximize the drama!
Ladle into bowls and serve.
Sizzling Rice Soup
Ingredients
For the sizzling rice:
- 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- vegetable oil (for frying; can substitute canola or other frying oil)
For the soup:
- 0.7 ounces small dried shiitake mushrooms (0.7 oz. = 20g = about 6 small dried mushrooms)
- 2 ounces chicken breast (thinly sliced)
- 2 teaspoons water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 ounces fresh sea scallops (cut into quarters)
- 4 ounces peeled, deveined shrimp (about eight 21/25 size shrimp)
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil (such as vegetable or canola oil)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1/4 cup carrots (thinly sliced)
- 1/2 cup whole canned straw mushrooms (or thinly sliced baby bella mushrooms)
- 2 cups baby bok choy (cut into 1-inch pieces, with leafy parts and stems separated)
- 1 cup napa cabbage (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 8 cups pork and chicken stock
- 2 ounces Virginia ham (sliced into thin strips)
- 1/2 cup snow peas (trimmed and cut in half)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Spread the cooked rice onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the rice. Let the rice sit overnight on the counter to dry (recommended). Alternatively, you can toast it in a 325°F oven for 20 minutes.
- Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms overnight in 1 cup of room temperature water, or for 2 hours in boiling water. Once rehydrated, squeeze the water from the mushrooms, trim off any tough stems, and thinly slice. Set aside the mushrooms, and reserve the mushroom soaking water.
- Velvet the chicken by mixing it with 2 teaspoons water, 1½ teaspoons oyster sauce and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Set aside.
- Boil 6 cups of water in your wok. Add the velveted chicken. Using your wok spatula, gently swirl the chicken in the water for 45 seconds, or until just cooked and opaque. Remove using a spider strainer or slotted spoon.
- Then add the scallops and shrimp. Again, cook them for 45 seconds, or just until opaque. Take care not to overcook them. Remove from the wok, set aside, discard the water and wash the wok.
- Set your wok over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil, the garlic, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms. If using fresh baby bella mushrooms instead of canned straw mushrooms (which are pre-cooked), add them to the wok now. Stir fry for 1 minute, or until the carrots are slightly softened.
- Add the bok choy stems and the napa cabbage. Stir fry for another minute. Next, add the pork and chicken stock and the reserved mushroom soaking water, taking care to leave behind any sediment from the mushroom soaking water. Bring the soup to a simmer. Add the ham and the pre-cooked straw mushrooms. Let the soup come back up to a simmer.
- Meanwhile, start heating the oil to fry the sizzling rice. You will want to have it ready once the soup is done. Fill a small, deep pot about halfway with frying oil, and heat to 350°F.
- Once the soup simmers, cook for 1 minute, and add the cooked chicken, shrimp, and scallops. Stir and cook for 1 more minute. Add the snow peas and leafy portions of the baby bok choy.
- Bring the soup back up to a simmer. Add salt, ground white pepper and sesame oil, stirring to dissolve. Taste and add additional seasonings as needed.
- Transfer the soup to a large serving bowl and move it to the table. Just before serving the soup, fry the dried toasted rice in your pre-heated oil until crispy, for about 30 seconds. Depending on the size of your pot, you’ll need to fry in 2-3 batches.
- Once each batch of crispy rice is finished, immediately add it to the soup, and watch it sizzle as the hot oil hits the soup! Serve.
This has been a family tradition for years! The local restaurant my grandfather took all of us to sadly closed and I taught myself to make it.
A few years ago I had a flu and it was the only thing that sounded edible, I didn’t have the time or energy to properly set the rice.
I had a moment of clarity and grabbed a box of instant rice, puffed it in oil until golden and, well, in a pinch it was great!
Thanks for sharing that story Katie :)
Made this soup for dinner tonight and it was delicious! Very reliable recipe. My kids loved it!
Excellent to hear your kids loved it Radley!