The simplicity of its ingredients lends it as a base to other soups and with a tweak or two in additional ingredients the end result would be a totally different dish.
My fascination with this soup comes from a little research and itching question on what did it come from and boy, its origins story is well, practically confusing, like a ret-conned superhero origins story somehow.
A simple name search of Lou San Thang yields it originated from China, and once it gets to its bastardized name of ABC Soup, it just gets so much more confusing. Some say it was because of the vitamins A, B and C from carrots, potatoes and tomatoes, whilst some probably stated that cooking it was as easy as spelling , and how it was aptly named thus as a version of canned alphabet soup.
In my case, I grew up calling it ABC Soup, as another hand-me-down from my elder siblings (in which they were pretty infamous in naming things their way) and for ages I thought this is just another one of it. Somehow along the way we(including our mum) got to know the other name elsewhere and found out others do call it ABC as well. To my surprise, it seems people do call it ABC Soup other than in Malaysia and Singapore.
I'm sure the base ingredients are the same, with variations and substitutions (nope, dried anchovies imho does not maketh an ABC Soup!) but the amazing thing to me is that people from different countries could made up a name unanimously somehow. Ripple effect?
Anyhow, on with the recipe.
The generally accepted Lou San Thang calls for Pork Ribs, Potato, Tomato, Carrot, Onion, Garlic, Ginger and salt & white pepper. I did list out other versions with additions of Corn, Cabbages etc in a previous unsaved version but I am not going to this time around as I am basically rewriting all this again before I sidetrack myself again.
I've always made mine with beef, either by fully substituting it in, or together with a mix of pork or lamb. To me, beef complements the rest of the ingredients for a much more kickass soup. Perhaps that must be why my elder siblings sang the praises to my mum. Also, I tend to believe it was because I don't serve it on the first round, I mean, a kickass soup takes patience and time eh?
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| BEEFY ABC SOUP |
0.5~1kg - *Beef (your choice for your soup, but for this time I used a decent sized shank; uncut)
2~2.5ltr - Water
4 nos - *Onion; large, rough cut
4 nos - Carrot; cube or slice
4 nos - Potato; cube
1 inch - Ginger; lightly smashed
1 bulb - Garlic; smashed whole or whichever your preference
to taste - Coarse Salt & White Pepper; crushed/uncrushed is fine. 4 tsp of Salt and 2 for Pepper
4 nos - Tomato; wedges
optionals which I added
2 oz - Chinese Cooking Wine
1/2 oz - Fish Sauce
Prep: 20 mins + 5 mins Cook: 60 mins + 60 mins give or take Serves: 8-10pax or 2 days for 2(with 2nd helpings)?
0. (additional step) Lightly brown the meat before adding Onions, Carrots, Potatoes, Ginger and Garlic.
1. Add all ingredients except seasonings and Tomatoes and set to minimal flame.
2. Stir occasionally if it boils, turn off heat around hour mark.
3. Add the seasoning and let cool and catch up on a book or go out for lunch or something.
4. An hour prior, remove meat to cut (if applicable) and add the tomatoes.
5. Resume mid flame and adjust additional seasoning to taste. Off heat when bubbly, and let rest for 5 minutes.
6. Ladle into serving bowls, and garnish if the occasion calls for it and dig in!
* substitute to pork or chayken if need to, but you have been warned about dried anchovies.
* my favorite is self-made minced beef clumps (I don't shape them to balls, as it retains more flavor)
* you may add Corn, Cabbages, Radishes, Turnips, Breadfruit, Waterchestnuts, hey, go crazy!
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| pardon this bad pic, this is by Round 3 that I figured heck I should take a pic |