• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
My Plantiful Cooking
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Newsletter
  • Breakfast
  • Mains
  • Desserts
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Vegan Asian Recipes

    Chinese ABC soup (meatless)

    Published: Apr 15, 2022 by Meesha · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    2 images of ABC soup in a bowl with spoon with text between the images.
    Scooping out soup from a pot with text overlay.

    This Malaysian-style ABC soup is warm, cozy, and super comforting to have. Packed with nutritious veggies, this soup is filling and satisfying without being overly heavy. This version is meatless too, making it suitable for vegetarians and vegans. 

    A bowl of ABC soup served with spoon with black pepper and green onion beside.

    This is another one of those dishes that I have almost every week growing up! Although simple, this Chinese ABC soup is incredibly versatile, delicious, and comforting. You can pair it with literally any Chinese or Asian mains or on its own with a bowl of rice. 

    Jump to:
    • 🤔What is ABC soup
    • 💚Why you will love this recipe 
    • 🥕What you will need 
    • 📃Ingredients notes and substitutions 
    • 🔪How to make 
    • ✔Helpful tips 
    • ✨Variations/add-ins 
    • 🍚How to serve 
    • ❔Commonly asked questions 
    • 🍽More Asian soups
    • 📖 Recipe

    🤔What is ABC soup

    ABC soup is an incredibly popular Malaysian Chinese vegetable soup. As its name suggested, this soup is rich in vitamin A from carrots, vitamin B from potatoes, and vitamin C from tomatoes. The other explanation for its name is that it is effortless to make - like ABC. 

    Although every household cooks it a bit differently, the base ingredients stay the same. Onions, potatoes, carrots, and tomatoes are simmered in broth, the most commonly used being chicken stock. 

    To keep this meatless, we will be using vegetable stock in place. But if you are not vegan, feel free to use chicken flavored broth or anchovies broth! 

    💚Why you will love this recipe 

    • Heartwarming, filling, and satisfying - This ABC soup is like a hug in a bowl! It is incredibly flavorful and tasty yet is light and refreshing at the same time. 
    • Simple to make - You could say this dish is as easy as ABC! This one-pot recipe only calls for simple pantry ingredients, and all you have to do is throw everything in and let it simmer. 
    • Packed with veggies - This soup is a delicious way to sneak in a variety of colorful veg into your diet! 

    🥕What you will need 

    Ingredients needed like potato, broth, onion, carrot, celery, and tomato.

    📃Ingredients notes and substitutions 

    • Onion - I am using yellow onion here, but you can replace it with red onion. 
    • Potatoes - I recommend going with waxy potatoes, as they are lower in starch and hold their shape well after boiling. With that being said, you can use Russet or Yukon potatoes if that is what you have on hand! 
    • Vegetable stock - You can dissolve bouillon cubes or vegetable stock powder in some hot water and use it in place. If you are not vegan, chicken stock or anchovies stock will work too. 

    🔪How to make 

    Here is a quick rundown of the steps involved in making this meatless ABC soup. As usual, the full recipe with detailed instructions will be provided in the recipe card below. 

    Heat some oil in a Dutch oven/soup pot. Start by sauteing onion until translucent. 

    Next, add in all your veggies, and saute for a few minutes, or until they have softened slightly. 

    Collage showing cooked onion, then adding in vegetables in a white Dutch oven.

    Pour in stock and water, and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower heat to a gentle simmer, and cook, with the lid on, for 1-2 hours. 

    Season it with salt and pepper, and serve it while hot! 

    Collage showing pouring in broth, and cooked soup in a white Dutch oven.

    ✔Helpful tips 

    • Use a large enough pot to make your ABC soup to prevent it from boiling over. I am using a 5.5 quarts Dutch oven. 
    • The longer you cook your soup, the more flavorful it will be. Hence, you could boil it for 1-2 hours depending on your time restraints. 
    • You can also make your soup in a slow cooker/crockpot. Skip the sauteing steps and simply throw everything into your pot. Cook for 6-8 hours on low, or 3-4 hours on high. 
    • Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. Simply warm it up on the stove or in the microwave when ready to serve! 

    ✨Variations/add-ins 

    Veggies - Feel free to add any other veggies that you like! Some veg that works well in this soup includes cabbage, beetroot, and chunks of corn on cobs. 

    Cooked noodles - This ABC soup works well as a base for noodle soup! Cook up your favorite noodles like soba or ramen, and pour this soup over. 

    Chinese herbs - Another popular addition to give this soup extra flavors. Some popular ones include goji berries, red dates, and Chinese yam (wai san). 

    Ladling out some soup from a pot with black pepper and carrots beside.

    🍚How to serve 

    This Chinese ABC soup is that good that I frequently have it on its own as a light meal! However, you can make your meal more satisfying by pairing it with other dishes.  

    Toppings - Feel free to go wild for the toppings! Some of my personal favorites are chopped herbs like green onion and parsley, chili flakes, and ground white pepper. 

    Rice - We love paring rice with soups here in Malaysia! Any kind of rice will work, be it white, brown, or basmati. You could also use cauliflower or broccoli rice. 

    Chinese main dishes - I love cooking some Hunan tofu or vegan orange chicken to go with this dish. 

    ❔Commonly asked questions 

    Can I freeze ABC soup?

    This ABC soup is freezable and can be frozen for up to a month. Let it cool down completely, then portion it into individual servings using freezer containers. 

    To reheat, let it defrost overnight in the fridge or on the countertop for a couple of hours. You can proceed with heating it in the microwave or on the stove.

    Can I make it in the pressure cooker?

    You can cook this ABC soup in a pressure cooker, like the Instant pot. Add all ingredients into the pot, and pressure cook on high for 25 minutes. Once the time is up, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes before quick releasing the remaining pressure.

    Give it a taste, adding more seasonings, if needed. It is ready to be enjoyed!

    2 bowls of ABC soup with black pepper and green onion beside.

    🍽More Asian soups

    • Wakame Miso Soup with Cabbage
    • Hearty Chinese Tofu Vegetable Soup
    • Flavorful Korean Gochujang Soup (Gochujang Stew)
    • Clear Chinese Spinach Soup

    If you did make this recipe, do leave a rating and comment down below, we love hearing from you! Subscribe to My Plantiful Cooking to get new recipes delivered straight to your inbox! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get the latest updates. 😉

    📖 Recipe

    ABC soup served with spoon with black pepper and green onion beside.

    Chinese ABC soup (meatless)

    Meesha
    This Malaysian-style ABC soup is warm, cozy, and super comforting to have. Packed with nutritious veggies, this soup is filling and satisfying without being overly heavy. This version is meatless too, making it suitable for vegetarians and vegans. 
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr 10 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 20 mins
    Course Side Dish, Soup
    Cuisine Chinese, Malaysian
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 78 kcal

    Equipment

    • Dutch oven or soup pot

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 medium yellow onion sliced into thick strips
    • 2 tomatoes quartered
    • 2 ribs celery diced
    • 1 carrot diced
    • 1 potato diced*
    • 2 cups vegetable stock **
    • 2 cups water
    • salt and pepper to taste
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Heat up a tablespoon of neutral oil in a Dutch oven/soup pot. Once pot is heated, add in onion and saute for 2-3 minutes, or until translucent.
      1 medium yellow onion
    • Next, add in all veggies, and saute for 4-5 minutes, or until they have soften slightly.
      2 tomatoes, 2 ribs celery, 1 carrot, 1 potato
    • Pour in vegetable broth and water, and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower heat to a gentle simmer, and cook, with the lid on, for 1-2 hours.
      2 cups vegetable stock, 2 cups water
    • Season it with salt and black pepper. Serve it with a side of rice, or whatever you like!

    Notes

    *Potatoes - I recommend going with waxy potatoes, as they are lower in starch and hold their shape well after boiling. With that being said, you can use Russet or Yukon potatoes if that is what you have on hand! 
    **Vegetable stock - You can dissolve bouillon cubes or vegetable stock powder in some hot water and use it in place. If you are not vegan, chicken stock or anchovies stock will work too. 
     
    Oil-free - Simply use ¼ cup of water/broth to saute your veggies instead of oil. 
     
    Helpful tips 
    • Use a large enough pot to make your ABC soup to prevent it from boiling over. I am using a 5.5 quarts Dutch oven. 
    • The longer you cook your soup, the more flavorful it will be. Hence, you could boil it for 1-2 hours depending on your time restraints. 
    • You can also make your soup in a slow cooker/crockpot. Skip the sauteing steps and simply throw everything into your pot. Cook for 6-8 hours on low, or 3-4 hours on high. 
     
    Storing
    Fridge -Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. Simply warm it up on the stove or in the microwave when ready to serve! 
    Freezer - This ABC soup is freezable and can be frozen for up to a month. Let it cool down completely, then portion it into individual servings using freezer containers. 
    To reheat, let it defrost overnight in the fridge or on the countertop for a couple of hours. You can proceed with heating it in the microwave or on the stove.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 78kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 2gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 655mgPotassium: 511mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 3402IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 1mg

    Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.

    Did you make this recipe ?Tag @myplantifulcooking on Instagram !

    More Vegan Asian Recipes

    • Vegetable Lumpia (Lumpiang Gulay)
    • Chinese Snow Peas Stir-fry
    • Vegan Tofu Adobo
    • Moong Masoor Dal

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Graham Lloyd

      April 20, 2022 at 2:14 pm

      5 stars
      I made this soup tonight for upcoming meals. Easy to make, affordable and very tasty indeed - even with my modest cooking skills. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Meesha

        April 21, 2022 at 7:27 am

        So happy to hear that!😁

        Reply

    Join the discussion ! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Meesha standing at a port with a cruise in the background.

    Hi, I am Meesha, the human behind My Plantiful Cooking! Expect to find plant-powered recipes that are easy to make and wholesome without compromising on taste.

    More about me →

    🥗Healthy Vegan Recipes

    • Almond Milk French Toast
    • Vegan Yakisoba with Tofu
    • Creamy Chickpea Pasta Sauce
    • Thai Vegan Yellow Curry with Vegetables
    • Oatmeal Protein Bars
    • Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookies

    💚Reader's favorites

    • Healthy PB2 Peanut Butter Powder Cookies
    • Creamy Pumpkin Potato Soup
    • Chinese Napa Cabbage Soup
    • Flavorsome Soya Chunks Dry Masala
    • Korean Gochujang Stir-fry Vegetables
    • Shirataki Noodles Stir-fry

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 My Plantiful Cooking