Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Shanghai-Style Borscht Soup (Luo Song Tang)
Soft vegetables and savory beef sausage fill a gently thickened tomato broth in this hearty soup. Cabbage gives it a mellow sweetness, with potato pieces making each spoonful substantial. The butter browned onion adds warmth beneath the bright tomato flavor.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Original yield
- Serves 8
- Ingredients
- 13 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Beef
- Cooking method
- Stir fry
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 31–60 minutes
- Dish type
- Soups · Soups & stews
A few quick notes
1. Brown the onion
Cook the sliced onion in butter until tender and lightly browned before adding tomatoes and tomato paste.
2. Stir while simmering
Stir the covered soup occasionally so the potato chunks do not stick to the bottom while softening.
3. Thicken after potatoes soften
Add the flour slurry only once the potatoes are soft, then stir through to thicken the soup.
Get to know the ingredients
Sausage
Cut the beef sausage into strips and add it after the vegetable broth comes to a boil.
Potato
Peel and cut the potato into large chunks before adding it with the other vegetables and broth.
Flour
Brown the flour in butter in a separate pan before mixing with water to make the soup thickener.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 8. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 5 steps completeMake room for Shanghai-Style Borscht Soup (Luo Song Tang)
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Taste and serve
Stir in the browned flour slurry once the potatoes soften, then season with salt and pepper before serving.
A little more help as you go
Cook tomatoes briefly
Stir tomatoes and tomato paste for two minutes to release their juices before adding the remaining vegetables.
Mix slurry off heat
Take the browned flour mixture off the heat before transferring it to a bowl and mixing with water.
A few questions you might have
When does the sausage go in?
Add the strips after the soup comes to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer covered.
How do I stop potatoes sticking?
Stir the soup occasionally during the covered simmer so the potatoes do not remain against the pot bottom.
How is the soup thickened?
Brown flour in butter separately, mix with water and stir the slurry in after the potatoes soften.
Should I brown the onion first?
Yes. Cook it in butter until tender and lightly browned before adding the tomatoes and paste.
When is the soup ready for seasoning?
After the potatoes are soft and the flour slurry has thickened the soup, add salt and pepper to taste.
Any more cooking tips?
Stir-fry the vegetables for 1 to 2 minutes until aromatic, then add beef broth. It brings the soup a natural sweetness from the vegetables after simmering. Cook the soup with beef broth instead of water for the best taste. For a rich taste, thicken the soup with stir-fried all-purpose flour slurry.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: rasamalaysia.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
