One Pot Spinach Soup with Fishball
When I think of “Spinach Soup“, the first thing that comes to mind is how simple and fuss-free it is. Once all the ingredients prep is completed, the cooking time takes only about 10 minutes – and half of that is waiting for the water to boil! Yes, it’s very simple, yet delicious! This is a recipe that I highly recommend, and it’s one that is difficult to mess up!
Ingredients
The main ingredients are spinach, fishball (or an assortment of seafood tofu), herbs and seasonings. The spinach has to be properly cleaned as they pick up dirt very easily or pre-washed ones can be used instead. Fishballs or seafood tofus come in many shapes and sizes – so feel free to use them even if they look different from mine.
Other white meat like chicken or pork can be used as well – though delicious, the name will not be “Fishball Spinach Soup” anymore 😉 For the tofu skin, they are pre-fried, similar to these rolled ones, and do not need to be soaked.
For a richer, stronger tasting soup, use a pre-cooked broth or seafood stock. As I did not have any on hand, I made do with just water and oyster sauce.
Wolfberries, or goji berries, as I call them, go very well with spinach in a gravy. If not available, they can be omitted.
Steps
Here’s how to cook the Fishball Spinach Soup:
- Add the cilantro root and seasonings to a pot of water over medium heat.
- Boil for 5 minutes.
- Add all the fish balls and seafood tofu.
- Boil for 3 minutes.
- Add the spinach.
- Boil for 2 minutes.
- Add spring onions, cilantro, wolfberries and tofu skin.
- Submerge them all and switch off the heat.
See wasn’t that easy?
Tips
- If substituting water for pre-made stock, the oyster sauce can be omitted or reduced to 1 tbsp.
- Spinach only needs 2 minutes to cook. This results in a nice bite once done. If very soft spinach is preferred, extend the cooking time to 4 minutes.
- Spring onions and cilantro stalks are garnishing for fragrance. They can be substituted with parsley if unavailable.
- Pre-fried fuchok, or tofu skin is not the same as the dehydrated/ dried ones that require soaking time. If using those, hydrate prior to cooking, and boil them in the soup as per packaging instructions.
- Wolfberries should be washed just before adding to the soup.
- Watch the video to replicate my Fishball Spinach Soup exactly!
Tasting
Lightly sweet, with al-dente spinach and tasty fishballs – fast, simple and so easy! The perfect Spinach Soup for any occasion.
On its own, it’s not very filling – so be sure to serve with some rice, cooked meats or vegetable sides of your choice!
Storage Instructions
Although this Fishball Spinach Soup can be kept in the fridge overnight, it’s recommended to consume it on the same day. This is to prevent the spinach and other ingredients from losing their freshness and becoming stale.
Hope you have enjoyed the recipe! Hope you can share with me what you think. Happy cooking! 😀
One Pot Spinach Soup with Fishball
Equipment
- Stockpot/ Deep Pan
- Soup Ladle
Ingredients
- 1.3 litres water
- 1 root cilantro
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1/8 tsp black sesame oil
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce, reduce to 1 tbsp if using pre-made stock
- 130 g seafood tofu
- 100 g fishball
- 190 g fish sandwich
- 300 g spinach, cut & washed
- 1 stalk spring onion, chopped
- 1 stalk cilantro, chopped
- 1 tbsp wolfberry, or goji berry, washed just before cooking
- 45 g fried tofu skin, or "fuchok"
Instructions
Boiling Broth
- Add all the water over medium heat.
- Add cilantro root, black sesame oil, pepper and oyster sauce. Stir until combined. Cover and bring to boil, about 5 minutes.
Boiling Fishballs
- After the stock is boiling, add the "fish" – seafood tofu, fishballs, and fish sandwich. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes.
Boiling Spinach
- After the Spinach Soup is boiling, add spinach. Stir to submerge them. Cover and boil for 2 minues for al-dente texture. Boil for 4 minutes to get soft spinach.
- Taste and adjust as preferred. Switch off the heat.
- Garnish with spring onion, cilantro, goji berries, and tofu skin. Stir to submerge all the ingredients.
- Serve.
Video
Notes
- If substituting water for pre-made stock, the oyster sauce can be omitted or reduced to 1 tbsp.
- Spinach only needs 2 minutes to cook. This results in a nice bite once done. If very soft spinach is preferred, extend the cooking time to 4 minutes.
- Spring onions and cilantro stalks are garnishing for fragrance. They can be substituted with parsley if unavailable.
- Pre-fried fuchok, or tofu skin is not the same as the dehydrated/ dried ones that require soaking time. If using those, hydrate prior to cooking, and boil them in the soup as per packaging instructions.
- Wolfberries should be washed just before adding to the soup.
- Watch the video to replicate my Fishball Spinach Soup exactly!
- Not recommended to keep it overnight