20 Simple And Easy Asian Soup Recipes

Are you looking for a warm and hearty soup for a wintry day? Or perhaps you’re not feeling great and need some soup nourishment.

No matter what your needs are, there is a soup perfect for you. Asian soups are full of spice, flavor and nutrients which are bound to make you feel warm, cozy and satisfied. 

Here we have found the best and easiest Asian soup recipes for you to try out. Some of these soups are ideal for any time of day. 

1. Quick And Easy Chinese Noodle Soup 

A simple one-pot recipe is often enough to make a delicious meal. Combining an aromatic broth, noodles and plenty of soy sauce you can create a healthy meal in about 10 minutes.

Adding leftover meats can make for a more hearty and filling meal. 

2. Asian Spicy Noodle Soup (Vegetarian & Vegan)

Packed with bold and tasty flavors, this simple one-pot recipe has the perfect amount of spice to warm you up on a cold wintery evening.

The dish is a combination of noodles, vegetables and classic Asian sauces and oils. Sriracha is used here for the heat, so you can add as much or as little as you want. 

3. Korean Spicy Beef Soup

Yukgaejang is a spicy Korean beef soup, full of meat and vegetables making it great comfort food. You’ll need traditional Korean ingredients such as gochujang (see also ‘26 Simple Recipes That Use Gochujang‘) and fernbrake in the grocery store or Asian market.

To create a more filling meal, add glass noodles. 

4. Korean Spicy Soft Tofu Stew 

This spicy tofu stew is otherwise known as Soondubu Jigae and is a very common and popular Korean dish. You can use a variety of ingredients for this meal, but here we’re focusing on a tofu version.

This is a spicy dish, using a lot of chilli yet it’s still refreshing and delicious. The recipe does include some seafood, but vegans can omit this easily. 

5. Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup)

Pho is a traditional Vietnamese noodle soup which is becoming increasingly popular in Western countries. The broth is the most important part of this dish, as it’s packed full of rich flavors.

In order to save you hours of work, a shortcut version of traditional pho broth is used. Pho can be topped with anything you like such as herbs, bean sprouts, chillis or vegetables. 

6. Chicken And Bok Choy Soup With Ginger And Mushrooms

Once you’ve gathered the main ingredients for this soup, you can add any kind of vegetables that you fancy on the day or just ones that need to be used up.

Here mung bean sprouts, green onions and fennel are used. If you prefer to add a little heat, adding chilli sauce or Sriracha is a great addition. 

7. Wonton Soup 

A wonton is a type of Chinese dumpling filled with meat, herbs, spices and soy sauce.

Once you’ve made the filling for these you’ll need to make the dumpling parcels, this may be daunting but as long as the filling stays inside it doesn’t matter what they look like.

The soup itself is essentially chicken stock with wontons in it. Garnish with green onion to serve. 

8. Homemade Miso Soup With Tofu 

Miso soup is often considered one of the easiest soups to make and is a staple in Japanese cuisine. In Japan it can be eaten for any meal. Miso is a soybean paste, which is mixed with a soup stock called dashi.

Finally adding tofu and wakame seaweed brings together all the elements to leave you with a delicious and healthy homemade miso soup.

9. Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup

You might not think you can turn a curry into a soup, but we’re here to show you that you’re wrong. Tender chicken, rice noodles, and tangy lime juice provide you with the comforting feel of having Thai takeout right at home.

Cooking this is easy, using one pot for everything and taking just over half an hour to do so. 

10. Tom Yum Soup

Tom Yum is a Thai classic which is healthy and full of flavor. For this recipe you may require a trip to your local Asian supermarket as these aren’t exactly standard pantry ingredients such as galangal, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves (see also ‘6 Substitutes For When You Run Out Of Kaffir Lime Leaves‘). 

The main ingredient is the shrimp, which can be fresh or frozen. Secondly, you’ll need to focus on the broth which is what gives the soup its flavor.

Oyster mushrooms, lime, onion alongside other ingredients are added into the soup before serving. 

11. Hot And Sour Soup

A particular favorite in northern China, hot and sour soup was created to keep your family warm. Zhenjiang vinegar is used to create acidity, whilst the sesame oil produces a nutty flavor.

There are some more complex ingredients found in this recipe, leaving them out isn’t a problem if you can’t get hold of them. 

12. Simple Homemade Chicken Ramen 

Ramen is a firm favorite in Japan as well as western cultures. A flavorful broth combined with chicken, vegetables, noodles and a soft-boiled egg this covers every food group.

You can use either chicken or pork when making ramen and all of the ingredients can be found in a local grocery store. Adding fresh jalapenos when serving gives the dish an extra kick. 

13. Egg Drop Soup 

Egg drop soup is a classic Chinese dish (see also ‘21 Easy Chinese Soup Recipes‘) you’ll commonly find on a restaurant menu. During the winter months, having a small cup of egg drop soup is a great way to start the day.

It’s called egg drop soup as a raw egg is literally dropped into the soup or broth and then seasoned to taste. The trick is to lightly beat the egg before it’s dropped into the soup. 

14. Udon Soup 

Another classic Japanese soup is the udon soup which uses thick udon noodles (see also ‘28 Of The Best Authentic Japanese Noodle Recipes‘). The great thing about this dish is that you can alter it towards meat eaters using beef or chicken or add in some extra vegetables for vegans. 

This basic recipe allows you to be flexible and add what you prefer. You’ll need dashi granules, which you should be able to find at a large grocery store. 

15. The Best Thai Coconut Soup

Coconut milk and flavoring is a key element to many Asian recipes. The authentic Thai (see also ‘11 Delicious Thai Dishes That Are To Order‘) spices make this dish bold and delicious.

Shrimp, shiitake mushrooms make up the main substance of the meal with coconut milk and chicken broth creating the soup texture.

16. Vegetarian Chinese Hot And Sour Soup

We couldn’t leave out this meat-free (see also ‘28 Easy Meat-Free Recipes‘) alternative to a classic Chinese favorite.

Instead of meat, shiitake mushrooms, tofu and vegetables are the main elements of the soup, bathed in a vegetable broth with added chilli sauce to perfectly balance the flavors. 

Eggs are commonly added to Asian soups, and although not considered authentic here, they do taste great in this soup. 

17. Laksa Soup

Laksa is an authentic Malaysian coconut curry soup which is made with a choice of chicken, shrimp or tofu to suit all diets. Rice noodles are added to the fragrant broth along with vegetables and herbs.

This recipe teaches you how to make an authentic Laksa paste from scratch! 

18. Chicken Mulligatawny Soup

This fusion of tastes comes from the early British Raj in India. Mulligatawny soup is an easy one-bowl meal, made from curry-scented chicken. Other than chicken this soup contains rice, vegetables and apples. 

There are many variations of this soup including a vegetarian and dairy free option, both equally as delicious. 

19. Indian Lentil Soup

Lentils are a staple ingredient in Indian cuisine (see also ‘27 Of The Best Indian Recipes For Dinner‘), packed full of nutrients and versatile to use.

Turmeric, mustard seeds, cardamom and cayenne pepper are added to the lentil mixture for an inexpensive and delicious meal packed full of spice.

Using vegetable stock instead of chicken easily adapts this meal for vegetarians. 

20. Pork Sinigang 

Sinigang is a Filipino soup (see also our favorite Filipino recipes) cooked with pork and served with rice. Alongside pork, you’ll find vegetables, tamarind and fish sauce in this dish (find more easy and simple Tarmarind Sauce recipes).

Filipinos (see also ‘26 Fantastic Filipino Desserts‘) usually add a small taro root called a gabi gabi which looks like a potato when peeled, adding these to the water of the soup when cooking is best as they will slowly cook along with the soup. 

Final Thoughts

Here are 20 delicious Asian soups that are easy to make and perfect for the winter months. You can easily leave out the meat in any of these dishes to create a vegetarian version. 

We hope you enjoyed learning about the many varieties of Asian soup and have found your next winter warmer. 

Happy cooking! 

Frequently Asked Questionss

What Is The Most Popular Chinese Soup?

There are three very popular Chinese soups: wonton soup, hot and sour soup and egg drop soup. However, wonton soup is considered to be the most popular Chinese soup.

Traditional wonton soup is made with Chinese dumplings and eaten at any time of day for a wonderful warming feeling.  

Are Asian Soups Healthy?

Asian soups in general contain very little processed ingredients, they are based on meat, vegetables, herbs and spices.

Chinese soups are famed for their “powers” of rejuvenation, using ancient ingredients as well as more common foods to help a variety of ailments. 

When making soup from scratch, you can control what goes into it and therefore can make it as healthy as possible. 

What Is Japanese Soup Called?

Miso soup is the ultimate Japanese staple made from dashi broth and miso paste. Miso itself is one of the most fundamental ingredients in Japanese cuisine and is used in many of their dishes.