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Paleo Chinese Chicken Sparerib Soup – a homemade Asian chicken and sparerib soup to nourish your soul and keep you healthy throughout the winter.
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.
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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.
Clean and Clear Gorgeous Broth
Similar to my Pork rib soup with daikon and Lotus root soup with pork ribs, 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.
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
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
- 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This looks delicious! Lotus roots are hard to find here, and I’m hoping to add something else so that there’s some carbs in the meal (I’m pregnant so trying to actively eat good carbs) – what do you think about adding sweet potato in the recipe if I’m doing the instant pot version? Or do you think it would fall apart…if so, any other carb suggestions? Thank you!
Hi Ivy, I don’t recommend adding sweet potatoes to an INstant Pot to make this soup. Most Chinese or Asian traditional soup recipes have clear broth, meaning it’s very different from Western style creamy soup like butternut squash soup texture. I recommend that you roast the sweet potatoes on the side as a side dish. Hope this helps. 🙂
I made this sometiimes ago. Great recipe. Kids love it. Our kids eat what we eat so when I look for recipe,it has to fit our family of 5. Spicy food once or twice a week bc it will mean I have to cook extra non-spicy meal for the kids.
The only thing I find with Instant pot(it means flavourful soup with just salt n pepper seasoning),the texture of the vegies change. They become spongy. But if we don’t include it,then vegetables flavour would lack.
I would love to know how to prepare the ginger for ”tis meal? I bought it and it lists it but doesn’t say how it’s used..
Hi Kim, the video in this post shows that it’s one piece of ginger (about a thumb size) to add to the pot. No slicing or chopping. And I don’t peel the skin of my ginger but I scrub them clean. Hope that helps :))
This is my kind of soup! Mouth-watering!
I think this will be my next instant pot sensation. Thanks!
This looks so hearty warm and delicious.
I LOVE spareribs, this soup looks delicious, and I really enjoy your videos!
Thanks so much !
Looks so tasty and wholesome. Wow!
Thank you !