This Sizzling Rice Soup is a unique recipe featuring a flavorful broth loaded with tender veggies, juicy shrimp, and scallops. It’s topped with crispy portions of fried rice that slowly soften, melting deliciously into the soup.
For more Asian-inspired soup recipes, don’t miss out on this flavorful Tom Yum Noodle Soup, my Easy Soba Noodle Soup, or savor the rich flavors of this Thai Chicken Soup.
Sizzling Rice Soup is a beloved classic in Chinese cuisine. This comforting dish combines crispy rice with a rich, savory broth, often loaded with vegetables and protein. The highlight of the dish is the sizzle that occurs when the hot rice hits the broth, which enhances the dining experience. Perfect for any season, whether you’re looking to warm up on a chilly day or enjoy a light meal, this soup is sure to hit the spot and become a new favorite in your recipe rotation.
Why I Love This Sizzling Rice Soup Recipe
- Full Entree. This soup is a full meal in a bowl with veggies, seafood, and fried rice on top.
- Crunchy. The perfect crunchy texture thanks to the twist that the crispy fried rice adds to the soup.
- Flavorful. You’ll enjoy the punch of flavor from the ginger and garlic paired with sesame oil and soy sauce and complemented by the sweetness of oyster sauce.
What Is Sizzling Rice Soup?
Sizzling Rice Soup is a Chinese-inspired dish with a flavorful broth loaded with sauteed veggies and proteins, usually seafood, but you’ll also often see the addition of chicken or pork. The veggies, proteins, and broth are ladled into bowls and topped with freshly fried portions of rice that add a crispy texture to the dish.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are all the ingredients needed to create this Chinese crispy rice soup in your kitchen. For exact measurements, refer to the recipe card at the end of this post.
- White long grain rice: Or Jasmine rice. Rinse it thoroughly before cooking.
- Toasted sesame oil – Any neutral oil could be used, but it will lack the distinct flavor.
- Canola oil – This is used to fry the rice to achieve its crispiness.
- Garlic & Ginger – I prefer to use fresh garlic and freshly grated ginger.
- Vegetable broth – Chicken broth will also do well here.
- Soy sauce – Imparts a salty, umami flavor. Liquid aminos can also be used.
- Oyster sauce – Hoisin sauce can be used as an alternative, but it’s sweeter.
- Jumbo shrimp – Fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined. Chicken can be used as a protein alternative.
- Bay scallops – These add a perfect meaty texture to the soup. If not available, chopped fish or additional shrimp can be used.
- Salt and Black Pepper – Simple seasoning to enhance the flavors.
- Veggies: Shiitake mushrooms, carrots, snow peas, and baby bok choy.
- Garnish: Green onions and sesame seeds.
How to Make Sizzling Rice Soup
At first glance, this recipe for sizzling rice soup seems intimidating, but it’s more manageable than it looks – take things one step at a time. Here’s a basic overview with step-by-step photos of how to make it.
- Prep. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Cook the rice according to the package directions. Then, spread it over the parchment-lined baking sheet and let it cool completely. Bake it for 20 minutes, then break the dried rice into 16 portions.
- Make the Broth. Saute the garlic and ginger in canola oil. Pour in the vegetable broth and bring it to a boil. Stir in the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Cook the seafood. In a separate pan, saute the shrimp and scallops until cooked through. Remove the seafood from the pan.
- Sauté the veggies. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the same pan and saute the mushrooms, carrots, snow peas, and bok choy until just tender. Stir the seafood into the pan with the veggies. Divide the mixture between 8 soup bowls and top with the broth.
- Fry the rice. Heat the canola oil over medium heat in a saucepan to 350˚F. Fry a few portions of rice at a time for 30 seconds. Add 2 portions of rice to each bowl of soup.
- Serve. Garnish with chopped green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Recipe Tips
- Rinse the rice to remove starch. This will result in a crispier texture upon frying.
- Thoroughly dry the rice after rinsing it to ensure it fries to a crisp instead of turning soggy.
- Avoid crowding the pan when sautéing the seafood and veggies to achieve a proper sear rather than steaming.
- Use a candy thermometer to heat the oil to exactly 350°F for perfect fried rice without sogginess.
- Fry the rice in small batches to maintain the oil temperature and for consistent crispiness.
Serving Suggestions
This sizzling rice soup recipe is a complete meal all on its own, but I love the fresh bite that this Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad or my Sesame Cucumber Salad brings to a savory soup. Snack on Shrimp Toast or Air Fryer Crab Rangoon while slurping down this warm deliciousness. Follow up the soup with my General Tso’s Chicken or this Pork Chop Suey.
How to Store And Reheat
- Store the soup and fried rice separately. Once cool, store each in a separate airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow both to thaw in the fridge before reheating.
- To reheat the soup, transfer it to a saucepan and set it over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. The rice should be baked at 400˚F for 5 to 10 minutes.
More Soup Recipes To Try
Welcome soup season with open arms with these wonderfully flavorful, heartwarming bowls of goodness.
- Turkey Noodle Soup
- Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
- The Best Lasagna Soup Recipe
- Creamy Crack Chicken Soup
Sizzling Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 1 cup jasmine rice, or white long grain rice
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups canola oil, for frying the rice
- 3 tablespoon canola oil, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch piece of ginger, grated
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- ½ pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ½ pound bay scallops
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 2 carrots, julienned
- 1 cup snow peas
- 2 heads baby bok choy, chopped, use white parts only
- chopped green onions, for garnish
- sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 325˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- Rinse. Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer until the water runs clear.
- Cook the rice according to the directions on the package or cook it in the instant pot. To cook it in the Instant Pot, transfer the rice to an Instant Pot and stir in the water, sesame oil, and salt. Close the pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 12 minutes before removing the lid of the pressure cooker and fluffing the rice with a fork.
- Cool. Spread the cooked rice over the parchment-lined baking sheet and let it cool completely. Then, bake the rice for 20 minutes to dry it out.
- Divide. Break the dried rice into 16 equal portions and set aside.
- Sauté the aromatics. In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Make the broth. Pour the vegetable broth into the pot and bring it to a boil. Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil. Reduce the heat to low and let the soup simmer for 10 minutes.
- Cook the seafood. While the soup is simmering, heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil in a separate pan over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and the scallops and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Sauté until the shrimp turn pink and opaque, and the scallops become opaque in the center. Remove the seafood from the pan and set aside.
- Sauté the veggies. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the same pan you cooked the seafood in. Add the mushrooms, carrots, snow peas, and the white portions of the bok choy. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and sauté until the mushrooms start to soften and the veggies are just a little bit tender but slightly crisp.
- Put it all together. Return the seafood to the pan with the veggies and toss everything together. Divide the seafood-veggie mixture between 8 soup bowls. Then, divide the broth evenly between the bowls.
- Get ready to fry. Heat the canola oil over medium heat in a 2-quart saucepan until a candy thermometer reads 350˚F.
- Fry the rice. Add 4 portions of rice to the hot oil and fry for 30 to 45 seconds or until crispy. Use a spider skimmer to take the rice out of the oil. Repeat with the remaining rice. Add 2 portions of rice to each bowl of soup.
- Serve. Garnish with chopped green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds, and serve.
Equipment
Notes
- Make sure to rinse the rice to remove the starch. This will result in a crispier texture. Then, dry the rice after rinsing to ensure it fries to a crisp instead of turning soggy.
- To cook the rice, you can follow my recipe and use the Instant Pot or follow the instructions on the rice packaging.
- Avoid crowding the pan when sautéing the seafood and veggies. To achieve a proper sauté, you may have to cook them in batches.
- Use a candy thermometer to heat oil to 350°F.
- Fry the rice in small batches to maintain the temperature of the oil and for consistent crispiness.
- Store the soup and crispy rice by cooling them first and then placing them into separate containers. Refrigerate them for up to 4 days or freeze for 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator before reheating. Warm up the soup by gently heating it in a saucepan, stirring until warm. Spread the rice on a baking sheet and heat it in a 400˚F oven for 5 to 10 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
