Shanghai-Style Red Vegetable Soup (罗宋汤 – Luo Song Tang)

Posted: 10/27/2018Updated: 8/17/2020

Every time I make Shanghai-Style Red Vegetable Soup (罗宋汤, luo song tang), images of well-dressed men and women dining in European-style cafes flash in my mind––scenes from many movies and TV shows about the old Shanghai. These fancy folks were either drinking coffee, eating a thin steak, or slurping this fancy red vegetable soup, maybe along with a piece of bread.

The Origins of This Shanghai Soup Recipe

In the early 1900s, people from all over the world came to big cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Harbin. Without getting too much into history of that period, they also brought with them their architecture, cuisines and western manners.

Drinking coffee at that time was in vogue and eating at Western-style restaurants was a privilege for the rich and famous. Commoners could only watch through the windows.

Shanghai-Style Red Vegetable Soup, or luo song tang (罗宋汤) is probably an adaptation of European vegetable soups, made with beets, potatoes and cabbage.

The version of the soup in China used tomatoes, which is what most Chinese cooks use today. Since I was young, I’ve always considered this soup to be special. I always remember those glamorous movie scenes and the actors sipping their luo song tang!

My Grandmother’s Recipe

It was my grandma, who lived through that time period in Shanghai, that taught me how to make this soup. She also taught me to make my favorite pork chop recipe: Asian Pan-Fried Pork Chops.

It probably comes as no surprise that I’ve adjusted her recipe a bit, reducing the tomato/tomato paste to make sure the sourness of the tomatoes doesn’t overpower the soup.

The result is a perfectly balanced red vegetable soup with a strong beef flavor from the addition of oxtails. The original recipe also calls for butter, but in my opinion, the oxtails already provide plenty of richness and robust beef flavor.

Another reason to love making this soup? Once you pat and dry the oxtails, there’s no stopping and starting. Turn on the heat, and the soup is underway. So grab your soup pot and make this for your next fall or winter dinner!

Luo Song Tang Recipe Instructions

Start by rinsing 2 pounds of oxtails and pat them very dry. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a thick-bottomed soup pot over medium heat to brown the oxtails.

Brown the oxtails lightly on both sides.

While that’s happening, slice 2 large onions, smash 6 cloves of garlic, and add them in once the oxtails are finished browning. Stir well and cook until the onions turn soft.

While the onions are cooking, cut 3 small tomatoes into rough chunks. Add them to the pot when the onions have softened. Clear a space in the center of the pot, and add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, letting it fry lightly. Stir and cook until the tomatoes are slightly dissolved and the oil in the pot turns reddish––a few minutes over medium heat.

Now add 10 cups water, and turn up the heat to high. Cut the carrots and cabbage, and add them to the pot, along with 5 bay leaves, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for 60 minutes.

After 60 minutes of simmering, peel and cut the potatoes, and add them to the soup. Bring it to boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for 30 more minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Salt to taste before serving.

Soups (and stews) always taste better the next day, so don’t fret if you have leftovers. Freeze the soup for another meal, and you will be very happy that you did!