I can’t remember how many times I’ve made this soup this winter. It’s been a favorite of mine since I was a little girl when I would eat this at our favorite Chinese restaurant. The sound of sizzling rice on the soup is a core-memory that brings me so much joy. Here is the recipe for 4 servings.

Main Ingredients:

• 4 pieces of rice cracker
• 3 oz chicken breast or chicken leg meat (I prefer dark meat)
• 3 oz shrimp
• 3 oz napa cabbage
• 3 oz bok choy
• 3 oz king oyster mushroom
• 2 oz carrot
• 1 oz snow pea (or green beans)
• 14 oz chicken broth
• 4 cup water
• 4 oz oil

Chicken Marinade

• 0.50 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp water

Shrimp Marinade

• 1 tsp cornstarch

Soup Seasoning

• 1 tsp oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 0.50 tsp sugar
• 0.50 tsp sesame oil
• 0.25 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp fish sauce

 

Directions:

1. Rice crackers: You can either make crispy rice at home or do what I do and buy store-bought rice crackers. You can either buy ready-to-eat rice crackers like the one on the left below or buy the ready-to-fry Instant Sizzling rice crackers like the one on the right. If you get the Instant Sizzling rice crackers, you will need to fry them after the soup is made.
2. Prepare the chicken: Cut chicken (3 oz) into thin slices. Marinate with salt (0.50 tsp), cornstarch (1 tsp), and water (1 tbsp). Mix well and set aside.
3. Prepare the shrimp: Peel the shell of the shrimp (3 oz), remove the tails, and de-vein them. Rinse and squeeze out the excess water. Marinate with cornstarch (1 tsp), mix well, and set the shrimp aside for later.
4. Prepare the vegetables: Wash and cut all the vegetables approximately the same size so they can all cook evenly. You can leave your snow peas whole or cut them in half at an angle. For the snow peas, I like to tip off the ends and remove the fibrous strings to make the snow peas more tender. Here’s a video demonstrating how to do this.
5. Start soup & add vegetables: Use a large pot or wok to cook the soup. Turn the heat on high and add chicken broth (14 oz) to the wok or pot. Add water (4 cups), put the lid on, and let it come to a boil. Add oil (1 tsp) after water boils. This will help to keep your veggies bright green. Add carrots first and then the rest of the vegetables after a few seconds. Season the soup with salt (2 tsp) and sugar (0.50 tsp). If you use regular chicken broth, reduce the amount of salt.
6. Add proteins & final seasonings: When the soup is boiling again, add the chicken. Make sure they don’t clump together. After about 30 seconds, add the shrimp and prevent clumping. After about 15-20 seconds, season the soup with sesame oil (0.50 tsp), white pepper (0.25 tsp), and fish sauce (1 tsp). Season to your liking. Transfer the soup to a serving bowl.
7. Serve the soup with the Ready-to-eat rice crackers OR if you have the Instant Ready-to-fry rice crackers, it’s time to fry them. In a clean, dry wok or pot, heat oil (4 oz) to 375F (190C). Add the rice crackers and stir them around until they puff up. Add the rice crackers to the soup immediately and enjoy the sizzle! (The hot oil on the rice crackers is what makes it sizzle.)