Paleo Chinese Chicken Sparerib Soup – a homemade Asian chicken and sparerib soup to nourish your soul and keep you healthy throughout the winter.

Paleo Chinese Chicken Sparerib Soup. Chinese Chicken bone broth. Chinese spare rib bone broth. Chicken broth. Asian soup broth. Paleo chinese food, Paleo asian food. IHeartUmami. IHeartUmami.com

This Paleo Chinese Chicken Sparerib Soup is inspired by a Hong Kongese style soup called 金華火腿雞湯 (Jīnhuá huǒtuǐ jītāng) – a special type of cured ham stewed with chicken in a clear broth.

Since this special type of cured ham might be difficult to find in the U.S., I used spareribs instead. The chicken and the pork ribs are simmered in a light and savory broth until they’re fall-of-the bone tender.

When done right, it’s simply out of this world.

Watch the 1-minute tutorial below to learn how to make this Paleo Chinese Chicken Sparerib Soup in Instant Pot and Slow Cooker !

3 Dishes + One Soup

Drinking soup or broth is essential to everyday meals in most Asian cultures.

In China and Taiwan, a typical dinner usually comes with 3 varieties of dishes (2 stir-fry dishes + 1 vegetable) along with one large bowl of soup for the entire family to savor.

The soup can be served before the main dish, or as a compliment to the dishes. It aids digestion and helps moisten your mouth. And that explains why glasses of water are not commonly served in most restaurants and households in Asia.

3 dishes 1 soup

A Simplified Way To Make Paleo Chinese Chicken Sparerib Soup

Traditionally, Asian soup or broth stew will incorporate dry herbs such as red dates, dry shiitake mushrooms, goji berries, or even ginseng. Root vegetables could vary from daikon radish, to lotus root, to winter melon.

I learned from my mom that lotus root works really well with pork ribs so I couldn’t help but add some to the soup broth this time. But as demonstrated in the video tutorial above, it’s an optional ingredient and you can totally skip it !

I added diced carrots and celery and used fresh shiitake mushrooms (instead of dry ones) because I think these ingredients are more common to most Western households and I wanted to experiment to see if it would alter the original flavor.

To my surprise, I was really impressed and fell in love with how simple it was to make an awesome pot of Chicken Sparerib Soup that anyone can easily enjoy.

Paleo Chinese Chicken Sparerib Soup. Chinese Chicken bone broth. Chinese spare rib bone broth. Chicken broth. Asian soup broth. Paleo chinese food, Paleo asian food. IHeartUmami. IHeartUmami.com

Clean and Clear Gorgeous Broth

Similar to my pork rib soup with daikon, you’ll see that I parboiled the chicken and spare ribs in boiling water and rinsed them clean before adding them to the stew pot. This little extra step will help remove the blood and other impurities that come with the raw meat/bone. It might add 10-15 minutes extra to the cooking time but for a clean and clear beautiful broth, it’s worth it!

Be sure to follow the recipe instructions below for more info.

P.S. Not feeling doing the extra work?

Simply skip the parboiled step and skip ahead to start at Step 3 in the instructions below. Hey, the end result of the broth might not be as clear as my photos but it’ll still taste good. So now you have no excuse not to try this delicious Paleo Chinese Chicken Sparerib Soup! :))

How much liquid to add to the stew pot?

The answer varies, depending on the cooking equipment you use.

For an instant pot, the liquid level should be about 1-inch higher than the ingredients.

For a slow cooker, the liquid level should be about 1 1/2 -inch higher.

And if you use a clay pot or a regular large soup pot to cook over a stovetop, you may need to add more water during the cooking process to compensate for the water evaporation.

And, as a side note, completely by coincidence, I found that using a combination of low sodium chicken broth and tap water – as opposed to tap water only – will result in an even more flavorful broth.

Paleo Chinese Chicken Sparerib Soup. Chinese Chicken bone broth. Chinese spare rib bone broth. Chicken broth. Asian soup broth. Paleo chinese food, Paleo asian food. IHeartUmami. IHeartUmami.com
Paleo Chinese Chicken Sparerib Soup. Chinese Chicken bone broth. Chinese spare rib bone broth. Chicken broth. Asian soup broth. Paleo chinese food, Paleo asian food. IHeartUmami. IHeartUmami.com
5 from 5 votes

Paleo Chinese Chicken Sparerib Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Author: ChihYu Smith
Paleo Chinese Chicken Sparerib Soup – a homemade Asian chicken and sparerib soup to nourish your soul and keep you healthy throughout the winter. Find the recipe below for instant pot and slow cooker methods.  
Hands-on prep time about 15 mins. 
Cook time for I.P – 50 mins. For Slow Cooker – 8 to 10 hours.
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Video

Ingredients 

  • 6 drumsticks chicken, either skin on or without skin
  • 1 lb. baby spareribs
  • 1 3/4 cups carrots, diced
  • 1 3/4 cups celery, diced
  • 4 oz. fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 1/2 cups lotus root, peeled and diced, optional
  • 1 thumb-size fresh ginger
  • Sea salt to taste before serving
  • Water or low-sodium store bought chicken broth, see notes section for more info

Instructions 

  • To make the best broth, fill-in a large pot of water that’s just enough to cover the raw chicken and pork ribs. Bring the water to boil then add raw chicken and pork ribs. Cook under high heat until the water returns to a boil and there is no blood coming out (about 5-7 mins after the water returns to a boil). Turn off the heat.
  • Dump the murky water. Rinse the chicken and pork ribs under room temperature water. *See more info under the notes section
  • Add the cleaned chicken and ribs to instant pot/slow cooker with the rest of ingredients. Add enough water or store bought chicken broth to cover the top of the ingredients. *See more info under the notes section. 
  • For Instant pot, turn the valve to Sealing position. Press Soup – Adjust to 50 mins.
    For Slow cooker, press Slow Cook – (pressure normal) – Adjust to 8 to 10 hours.
  • Once the cook time is finished and if you use instant pot, please let it come to natural pressure release. The soup might burst through the valve if use quick release. 
  • Season with sea salt to taste before serving. 

Notes

Rinse under room temperature water.
If you rinse the parboiled meat under cold/ice water, the meat will tighten and become chewy. Room temperature water and slightly warm to the touch is the best.
How much liquid to add to the stew pot? 
  • For an instant pot, the liquid level should be about 1-inch higher than the ingredients.
  • For a slow cooker, the liquid level should be about 1 1/2 -inch higher.
  • And if you use a clay pot or a regular large soup pot to cook over a stovetop, you may need to add more water during the cooking process to compensate for the water evaporation.
  • By coincidence, I found that using a combination of low sodium chicken broth and tap water – as opposed to tap water only – will result in an even more flavorful broth.

Nutrition

Serving: 317g, Calories: 419kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 40g, Fat: 23.5g, Saturated Fat: 7.2g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 170mg, Sodium: 1014mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 5550IU, Vitamin C: 22.3mg, Calcium: 60mg, Iron: 2.2mg
Course: Broth, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Asian, Asian American, Chinese
Keyword: Asian Bone Broth Soup, Chicken Sparerib Soup, Instant Pot Chicken Soup, Instant Pot Soup, Paleo Chicken Soup
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