Equipment
Ingredients
Seasoned White Rice
- 200 g long grain white rice, rinsed well
- 400 ml water
- 3 g kosher salt
- 5 ml sesame oil
Roasted Garlic Soup Base
- 15 ml olive oil
- 6 garlic, thinly sliced
- 1000 ml vegetable broth, low-sodium
- 30 ml soy sauce
Proteins and Vegetables
- 400 g raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 150 g baby spinach, washed and dried
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 338 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbohydrates
- 48 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 2063 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 1 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 126 mg
- Potassium
- 499 mg
- Calcium
- 133 mg
- Iron
- 3.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 75 mg
- Phosphorus
- 352 mg
- Zinc
- 1.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 276 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 14 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 184 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.41 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.15 mg
- Niacin
- 4.6 mg
- Folate
- 209 mcg
- Water
- 478 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Combine the rinsed rice, water, salt, and sesame oil in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil at 100°C / 212°F, then immediately reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover tightly, and cook until water is completely absorbed.
While the rice cooks, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the sliced garlic and toast slowly, stirring continuously, until deeply golden brown and highly aromatic, taking care not to let it turn black.
Pour the vegetable broth and soy sauce into the pot with the toasted garlic. Increase the heat to medium-high to bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer.
Gently stir the raw shrimp into the simmering broth. Cook until the shrimp curl slightly, turn entirely pink, and reach a safe internal temperature of 63°C / 145°F.
Remove the soup from the heat immediately. Stir in the fresh baby spinach and let it sit in the hot broth until it wilts entirely.
Divide the hot seasoned white rice evenly among four serving bowls. Ladle the hot garlic broth, shrimp, and wilted spinach generously over the rice. Garnish with the sliced green onions.
Chef's Notes
- Pan-toasting sliced garlic is a fantastic technique for achieving a flavor profile very similar to whole-head roasted garlic but requires a fraction of the time, making it ideal for weeknight dinners.
- Always rinse white rice thoroughly under cold water until the water runs clear. This removes excess surface starches that can cause the grains to stick together and become gummy in the soup.
- Removing the soup from the heat right before folding in the spinach preserves its delicate structure and vibrant green color, preventing it from breaking down into stringy, greyish mush.
- For additional low-fat flavor building, you can rehydrate a small piece of kombu or dried shiitake mushrooms in the broth during the simmering phase.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store the rice and the soup in separate airtight containers to prevent the rice from absorbing the broth and becoming mushy.
Reheating: Reheat the soup gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat until just simmering. Warm the rice separately in the microwave with a splash of water.
Troubleshooting
The soup has a bitter, harsh aftertaste
Cause: The sliced garlic was burnt during the sauteing phase
Fix: Cannot be fixed. Bitter burnt garlic will permeate the entire broth, so it is best to wipe the pot clean and restart the base if it burns
Prevention: Toast garlic over medium-low heat and stir constantly, removing from heat at the first sign of dark brown edges
Shrimp are tough, rubbery, and tightly curled
Cause: Shrimp were boiled vigorously or left in the cooking broth for too long
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Ensure the broth is only at a gentle simmer before adding shrimp, and remove the pot from the heat as soon as they turn opaque
Cultural Context
Serving a delicately seasoned, clear broth packed with protein and greens over steamed white rice is a comforting culinary practice found across many global cuisines. It draws heavily from East Asian soup traditions, where pouring hot broth over rice creates an instantaneous, restorative porridge-like dish that highlights the freshness of the ingredients.
