Salted Vegetables and Duck Soup
First posted in Jan 2010, updated in Sep 2016.
Salted vegetables duck soup (咸菜鸭汤) is one of my favourite Chinese home-cooked soup. Its salty savoury taste makes the soup addictively appetizing (开胃).
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Salted vegetables may not be the most healthy vegetable in the world, but this soup makes a tasty home treat once in a while!
Just like Sichuan veg duck soup, I followed my mum’s tradition of using a slow cooker (crockpot) to cook this soup. Duck meat takes a longer time to cook than other meats like chicken, so the slow cooker is really useful for this recipe. With the slow cooker, one doesn’t have to spend hours watching the stove and topping up the water constantly.
To me, a delicious salted vegetables duck soup must not just be salty, it has to be mildly hot and peppery as well. In my version, the heat comes from the white peppercorn, red chilli and ginger (pictured above).
You know this soup is done when the duck meat is so tender that it just falls off the bones when it is gently touched with chopsticks. After simmering in the crock pot for hours, the soup is rich and delicious.
I like this soup!
When we do it at home, we also add in some pork ribs to the soup. It makes it tastier. Maybe it’s because we are used to that flavour :-)
That’s a really good idea – think I’ll add some pork ribs to my duck soup next time. Thanks for sharing the tip :-)
This looks and sounds fabulous for a cold winter day here in Hamburg!
*Screaming* You know what, you just tortured me with this soup before bedtime! This is a fave of mine!! Interestingly, I first had it years ago at a Nyonya food restaurant in Melaka … I never knew it’s 100% Chinese!?
Pei-Lin
not sure if it’s 100% Chinese, but I’m sure it’s 100% Asian. I think all ethnic groups have their own twist and version :) hehe sorry for the torture lol, I always crave for food before bedtime too :D
This is the soup that my family always makes for festive seasons and prayers. Love the rooster bowls, I got some too, my sister brought them from Penang to me. Going to use them in my cookbook hehe.
your cookbook is going to be awesome, I’m really looking forward to it :)
My favourite but I have no chance to drink this coz hubby doesn’t like duck!
this soup is one of my favourite soup.I remember my mom must cook this soup for prayer..I think it’s Hokkian lang soup,right?
The best version I’ve tasted uses roasted duck. It gives the soup a wonderful aroma.
It’s my first time hearing about using cardamons in this soup. Thanks for the tip. maybe I’ll try this next time. :)
Hi. Where u bought the chicken picture bowls from ? thanks
I bought them from a shop on the 3rd level of people’s park complex. It’s in the center (open area) selling quite a bit of crockery and cutlery.
There are many places in Singapore that sells these chicken bowls actually. Look for those traditional shops (usually they also sell household items). I’ve seen them also at china town, beach road area, bedok, ang mo kio…
Hi Wiffy,
wow cool.. Thanks for your reply. I will go there and check it out this weekends.
u must have a lot of crockery stored at home..
have fun shopping. I hope you find what you’re looking for. Oh yes, I have too much crockery at home >_<
Hi Wiffy, do u know how to make the salted veg which u can usually order with bak kut teh? Btw, I love all your recipes… :)
sorry, I haven’t made that before. hehe
Hi,
I want to say a big THANK YOU!!
My Giam Chye Ar recipe is same as yours minus the Cardamon (I also added sour plums and Tofu and I also didn’t remove the skin and fat cos’ I really like the unhealthy version :-p). I also transferred the soup to a slow cooker after boiling for 2 hours.
The white pepper seeds actually subdue the strong duck odour but I have never thought of Cardamon!!
I actually wanted to try out another curry dish, Hainanese curry. I just can’t get the taste I wanted and I believe Cardamon is one of the key ingredients that give Hainanese curry the unique taste.
Thank you!!