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Chinese Watercress Soup (Sai Yong Choy Tong)

written by Marvellina Updated: March 19, 2020
9.1K
PIN RECIPE COMMENTS VIEW RECIPE
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Chinese Watercress Soup-Nutrient-rich watercress served as soup is popular soup in Chinese household. Sai Yong Choy Tong is suitable for everyday consumption and can be part of confinement food as well.

Chinese Watercress Soup (Sai Yong Choy Tong) #soup #watercress #chinesesoup #instantpot

Sai Yong Choy Tong reminds me of mom. Mom made this soup so often. It’s so simple yet it’s very flavorful. My mom sometimes made it with pork ribs but somehow the sight of pork ribs was a turn off to my brother. So mom usually made it with a little bit of chicken meat. My sister in law will make this soup without any meat at all but with lots of garlic, which is very tasty too.

Sai Yong Choy (Watercress) #soup #watercress #chinesesoup #instantpot

10 years ago, watercress is unheard of here in the U.S. But now major grocery stores carry watercress as a salad.
Watercress is dirt cheap in Indonesia and I believe everywhere in Southeast Asia. Literally “dirt cheap” because they grow near the “gutter” (at least in Indonesia) and people just pick them up and wash them thoroughly with salt and vinegar before cooking. The watercress here in the U.S. is really clean and “good” looking and of course cultivated, not in a “gutter” lol!

Chinese Watercress Soup (Sai Yong Choy Tong) #soup #watercress #chinesesoup #instantpot

Mom also likes to add red dates and goji berries to the soup. I remember when I was still doing my confinement , mom would make this soup too by adding more ginger, sesame oil, and also a little bit of cooking wine.

Chinese Watercress Soup (Sai Yong Choy Tong) #soup #watercress #chinesesoup #instantpot

Chinese Watercress Soup (Sai Yong Choy Tong) #soup #watercress #chinesesoup #instantpot

If you have not tried watercress soup before, I highly recommend it because it’s very easy to make yet it’s so tasty and nutritious!
[disclosure]
*Recipe is written for 6-quart Instant Pot. Cooking time should remain the same for 8-quart size but will take longer to pressurize. For mini duo (3-quart), I suggest to half the recipe and use the same amount of time to cook*

Chinese Watercress Soup (Sai Yong Choy Tong)

Chinese Watercress Soup (Sai Yong Choy Tong)

Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 35 minutes mins
Servings 4 servings
3.4 from 5 reviews
REVIEW & RATE PRINT

Ingredients

  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 300 gr fresh Chinese watercress washed
  • 4 cloves garlic peeled and smashed with side of the knife
  • 2 slices of 3-inch fresh ginger peeled and lightly bruised to release flavor
  • 200 gr boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into small bite size
  • 8 red dates
  • 1 large tomato quartered
  • 10 gr dry squid optional
  • ¼ cup goji berries washed

Seasonings:

  • 1 Tbsp Better than bouillon or 1 cube chicken bouillon
  • ½ tsp sugar or more to taste
  • Salt to taste

Cooking equipment recommended (use either one):

  • Medium - large pot with lid
  • instant pot

Instructions
 

Cooking with instant pot:

  • Place all the ingredients in the insert of instant pot, except for goji berries, salt and sugar. Pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. Wait for 1 minute and then turn the steam handle to venting. Open the lid carefully. Stir in goji berries and the residual heat will soften the berries. Season with salt and sugar to taste.

Cooking on stove-top:

  • Place chicken broth in a pot and bring to a boil. Add garlic, ginger, chicken pieces, dry squid (if using), better than bouillon (or bouillon cube) and red dates. Lower the heat and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the watercress and tomato, cook for another 10 minutes or until the watercress and its stems are soft. Add goji berries last and cook for another 5 minutes. Season with salt to your taste. Remove from the heat and serve while it is hot

Cooking with a slow cooker:

  • Place all the ingredients in the insert of the slow cooker, except for goji berries, salt and sugar. Adjust the setting to cook on low for 4 hours.
  • After that, stir in goji berries and the residual heat will soften the berries. Season with salt and sugar to taste.

Marv's Recipe Notes

Add more ginger if you are using this recipe for confinement. My mom even add some sesame oil and a bit of wine into the soup

*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*

Nutrition Facts
Chinese Watercress Soup (Sai Yong Choy Tong)
Serving Size
 
1 serving
Amount per Serving
Calories
144
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
3
g
5
%
Saturated Fat
 
1
g
6
%
Trans Fat
 
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Cholesterol
 
53
mg
18
%
Sodium
 
1987
mg
86
%
Potassium
 
859
mg
25
%
Carbohydrates
 
17
g
6
%
Fiber
 
2
g
8
%
Sugar
 
11
g
12
%
Protein
 
14
g
28
%
Vitamin A
 
2671
IU
53
%
Vitamin C
 
63
mg
76
%
Calcium
 
132
mg
13
%
Iron
 
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Did you make this recipe?Let me know how you like this recipe and consider rating it! Tag me @whattocooktoday I'd love to see your photos/videos on Instagram



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11 comments

Jayme May 18, 2023 - 9:38 am

I love watercress so I’m definitely making this! Is this dish good for freezing?

Reply
Marvellina May 18, 2023 - 4:25 pm

Hi Jayme, this soup is not so suitable for freezing though. Freezing will affect the texture of the veggies.

Reply
Isabel February 4, 2022 - 9:21 pm

Hi can i use a slow cooker for this recipe?

Reply
Marvellina February 6, 2022 - 8:26 pm

Hi Isabel, absolutely. I have included the instruction for a slow cooker!

Reply
afra January 10, 2022 - 12:49 pm

Loving the look of this recipe. I would like to make it for a friend once she has given birth. I hope you do not mind me asking: Does it reheat well or does it affect the watercress?

Reply
Marvellina January 10, 2022 - 1:36 pm

Hi Afra, it reheats well.

Reply
afra January 13, 2022 - 5:39 am

Thank you so much for you answer! I will certainly try it 🙂

Reply
Jen May 9, 2020 - 2:07 am

I loved the recipe—it was perfect here in Wisconsin for confinement:) I didn’t have the berries or the dates, so I added carrots. I got the watercress from a local stream (great in spring) and threw in some bacon:) I would never have thought of this so thanks so much for posting the recipe. I also enjoyed the article about post pregnancy confinement and the Chinese cultural significance, so thank you for expanding my horizons:)

Reply
Marv May 9, 2020 - 6:38 pm

Hi Jen, ha..ha…it’s totally fitting for the “confinement” we are going through now. This recipe is totally flexible. I bet you got some nice flavor from the bacon! It’s so great that you can get fresh watercress from your local stream! I’m glad you enjoyed the article about Chinese confinement 🙂 It’s pretty interesting and unusual for sure. Thank you for trying the recipe and for your feedback. I appreciate it!

Reply
Linda Wijaya November 22, 2017 - 8:12 pm

I love this soup!
Thanks for sharing the recipe..

Reply
Marvellina November 24, 2017 - 6:42 pm

I know! Reminds me of childhood!

Reply
3.40 from 5 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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