This Pakistani 19B soup is a peppery, tangy Chinese hot-and-sour-style soup made with chicken, prawns, vegetables like mushrooms, and soft egg ribbons. Smooth, comforting, and easy to make at home, it's perfect as a starter or light meal.
Table of Content
What Is 19B Soup
Actually, nobody really knows the origin of this soup. There is a lot of speculation on the internet. All I am sure of is that 19B Soup is a Pak-Chinese fusion soup that became popular in Karachi and is now available in most restaurants across Pakistan.
It is quite similar to Hot & Sour Soup, keeping its peppery, sour, and spicy notes, but the addition of mushrooms and two proteins (chicken and shrimp) makes it slightly different.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken - You can use only chicken if preferred, but the flavor will be slightly less rounded.
- Prawn - Shrimp or prawn, either can be used.
- Mushrooms - You can use white button or brown cremini mushrooms.
- White Vinegar - Regular white vinegar works best. Rice vinegar can be used, but it will be slightly milder.
- Toasted Sesame Oil - Used only for finishing. Do not substitute with regular sesame oil. It can be skipped, but the soup will be slightly less fragrant.
Step By Step With Photos
Here's how to make this 19B soup recipe with a simple visual guide.
- Cook chicken & prawn - Heat olive oil in a pot. Add the chicken and cook until it starts to turn white. Add garlic and prawns, season with salt and black pepper, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add mushrooms & spring onion whites - Add the mushrooms and spring onion whites and cook for 2-3 minutes, just until slightly softened.
- Add stock & bring to a simmer - Pour in the chicken stock and bring the soup to a gentle simmer.
- Add carrot & bell pepper - Add the carrot and bell pepper and simmer for 3-4 minutes, until just tender.
- Season the broth - Stir in soy sauce, dark soy sauce, chili sauce, vinegar, sugar, and remaining black pepper.
- Thicken the soup - Slowly pour in the cornstarch (cornflour) slurry while stirring until the soup thickens slightly.
- Add egg ribbons - Reduce heat to low. Drizzle in the whisked egg, let it sit briefly, then gently stir in one direction.
- Finish & serve - Turn off the heat. Stir in toasted sesame oil and spring onion greens. Serve hot.
Helpful Tips
- Add carrot and bell pepper near the end. If added too early, they can turn mushy in the simmering soup.
- Don't overcook the mushrooms. They should soften slightly but still hold their shape.
- Keep the soup at a gentle simmer. A rolling boil can make the soup cloudy and overcook the egg.
- Add the cornstarch slurry gradually. Stir continuously while adding to avoid lumps. You may not need all of it.
- If the soup separates after chilling, don't worry. Cornstarch-thickened soups can loosen or separate in the fridge; simply reheat gently while stirring to bring it back together.
Make It Your Own
- Use only chicken if you do not prefer seafood.
- Increase black pepper and chili sauce for more heat, or reduce for a milder soup.
- You can add extra vegetables like cabbage or bamboo shoots if you have them on hand.
- Turn it into a corn-style soup by adding ¼-½ cup sweet corn kernels along with the vegetables.
What To Serve With 19B Soup
19B Soup pairs well with fried rice, chicken manchurian, or hakka noodles if you want to turn it into a complete meal. It also works nicely with crispy spring rolls, chicken wontons, or steamed dumplings on the side.
You can browse more Chinese recipes here to build a complete restaurant-style meal at home.
Storage & Reheating
- Refrigerate: Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally. Avoid boiling.
- Texture note: Cornstarch-thickened soups may loosen or separate after chilling. Stir well while reheating to bring the soup back together.
- Freezing: Not recommended, as the texture of the egg and thickened broth changes once frozen.
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📖 Recipe
19B Soup (Pakistani Hot & Sour Chicken & Prawn Soup)
This Pakistani 19B soup is a peppery, tangy hot-and-sour-style soup made with chicken, prawns, vegetables, and soft egg ribbons. Light yet comforting, it's easy to make at home and works well as a starter or a light meal.
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Servings:
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 5 oz (140 g) chicken breast chopped
- 5-6 medium (70 g) prawns or shrimp
- 4 cups chicken stock or plain water + 2 chicken stock cubes
- ¼ teaspoon salt for seasoning the meat
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper for seasoning the meat
Vegetables
- 4-5 (50 g) white button mushrooms sliced
- ½ medium (50 g) carrot cut in small cubes
- ½ small (50 g) green bell pepper cut in small cubes
- 2 spring onions whites and greens separated
Seasoning
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1½ tablespoon sriracha sauce or any chili sauce
- 2 tablespoon white vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Thickening
- 4 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup water
- 1 egg lightly whisked
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 30-40 seconds, just until fragrant. Do not let it brown.
- Add the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until it turns white but is not fully cooked through. Add the shrimp, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Stir and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they soften slightly but still hold their shape.
- Add the spring onion whites, then pour in the chicken stock. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer. Once simmering, add the carrot and bell pepper.
- Season with soy sauce, dark soy sauce, chili sauce, vinegar, sugar, and remaining black pepper. Stir well and let the soup simmer gently on low heat for 3-4 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender.
- Slowly pour in the cornstarch slurry while stirring continuously, until the soup thickens slightly.
- Reduce the heat to low. Slowly drizzle in the whisked egg, let it sit for 2 minutes, then gently stir in one direction to create egg ribbons.
- Let the soup simmer for 2 more minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Stir in toasted sesame oil and spring onion greens. Serve hot!
Video
Notes
- Use a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil, to keep the soup clear and the egg soft.
- Add carrot and bell pepper near the end so they stay tender, not mushy.
- Add the cornstarch slurry gradually and stop once the soup is lightly thickened.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. If the soup thickens or separates after chilling, reheat gently while stirring to bring it back together
Nutrition
Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 1861mg | Potassium: 319mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1492IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg
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