Vegetable Manchow Soup is a spicy, hot and sour Indo-Chinese soup loaded with crunchy vegetables flavored with soy sauce and vinegar and thickened with a cornstarch mixture. The highlight of this delightful soup is the garnish of fried noodles! Every savory, spicy spoonful is best enjoyed with the crunch of deep fried or air fried noodles. Hot soups bring comforting warmth during the cold winter months and vegetable manchow soup is one of the favorite soups we enjoy, especially during our jaunts to the local Chinese restaurant; it is one of the first soups we order along with sweet corn vegetable soup. All Chinese recipes in India have been metamorphosed to a spicy Indo-Chinese flavor with a fusion of both Chinese flavors and Indian spices. Once you have relished the Indo-Chinese flavors, your palate will never dare to enjoy the bland (for us Indians who are lovers of all kinds of spices) authentic Chinese cuisine!!
WHAT IS MANCHOW SOUP
Vegetable Manchow soup is one of the easiest and quickest soups you can make. Finely chopped crunchy vegetables are sautéed along with onions, ginger, garlic, green chilies/jalapenos and coriander leaves/cilantro and boiled in vegetable stock or water. The Chinese elements are soy sauce and vinegar.
Indian soy sauce is very dark so a little goes a long way. Vinegar adds a tang to the hot soup; you can substitute with lemon juice (but I prefer the taste vinegar gives to Chinese food). For the protein element, along with mushrooms you can add finely chopped tofu or paneer (Indian cottage cheese). The piece de resistance is the deep fried noodles served along with the soup. Regular noodles are boiled, drained and deep fried to a crispy crunch. Served along with the soup, they give a nice crunchy bite in every spoonful!! But if you are health conscious, then you can air fry the noodles in an air fryer (if you have one). I made some and it actually came out more crunchy than the deep fried ones and oil free! Air fry boiled and drained noodles for 8 to 10 minutes at 380 degrees Fahrenheit flipping halfway in between. Adjust temperature and time according to your air fryer. And of course, how can you forget the ultimate garnish: finely chopped green onions or cilantro. Serve light, healthy and comforting vegetable manchow soup with schezwan hakka noodles or vegetable fried rice and Indo-Chinese vegetable puffs for a Chinese experience in your own home!!
So no more soup from a packet or take out from a local joint, do try out my take on vegetable manchow soup today and enjoy a comforting, healthy and light soup as a starter or just as a snack break.
Check out these lip-smacking soups you can enjoy any time:
Creamy Mushroom Soup Sweet Corn Vegetable Soup Light and Healthy Lauki (Bottle Gourd) Soup
How to make Vegetable Manchow Soup with step-by-step Method:
Heat oil in a deep pan or wok. Add finely chopped onions, ginger, garlic, cilantro and green chilies; sauté for a minute on high.
Cook Time: 15 minutes
¼ cup finely chopped cabbage ¼ cup finely chopped carrots ¼ cup finely chopped bell pepper/capsicum ¼ cup finely chopped mushrooms ¼ cup finely chopped onions 2 tablespoons white portion of green onions 1 teaspoon finely minced or grated garlic 1 teaspoon finely minced or grated ginger 3 tablespoons finely chopped coriander leaves/cilantro 2 to 3 green chillies/jalapenos, finely minced 3 cups of vegetable stock or water 2 tablespoons sesame oil or any cooking oil 1 to 2 teaspoons soy sauce ½ to 1 teaspoon white vinegar 2 tablespoons cornflour in ¼ cup of water Black pepper powder Salt to taste Deep fried noodles Finely chopped green onions or coriander leaves/cilantro for garnishing
Instructions Notes If you have an air fryer, then air fry boiled and drained noodles at 180-190C or 350-370 F for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping haflway until golden brown and crisp. You can add finely diced paneer or tofu for additional nutrition. Other vegetables you can add are baby corn, broccoli, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts etc. Enjoy and Happy Cooking/Eating!
Add all the chopped vegetables (carrots, cabbage, mushrooms and bell peppers) and fry again for about another minute (make sure you do not overcook; you need the crunch of vegetables in the soup).
Meanwhile, heat the vegetable stock (if using) or water in a separate saucepan. Once the vegetables are fried, add the hot water or stock, salt to taste, soy sauce, and black pepper powder (about ½ teaspoon) and bring to a boil again.
Add vinegar and do a taste test. Add salt, soy sauce or vinegar to get a balanced flavor. Stir in corn flour paste and heat till it thickens. If you want a thicker soup, add more cornflour. Mix well till heated through, garnish with chopped green onions or cilantro and serve piping hot with a topping of deep fried crispy noodles!!
Enjoy!!!!
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