Savory glutinous rice ball soup (tang yuan) is usually served during lunar new year.  I learned this recipe from my now husband's aunt while I was still in college. It was SO delicious that I wanted her to teach me how to make it.  My family makes this several times a year as its a healthy meal in a bowl.  The rolling of the balls are somewhat time consuming, but it's a great way to get friends and family involved, making this a meal that's great for casual entertaining.

When my daughters were growing up, and I needed help making the dough balls, I got my daughters to help me. It was like playing play-dough! I allowed my daughters to have fun and make interesting-colored balls with food coloring. They absolutely loved making and eating this meal and even as adults, whenever they help me make tang yuan, there is no shortage of festive colored glutinous rice balls!

"Tang yuan" literally translates to "soup ball". However, the homophone pronunciation of "tang yuan" also means togetherness and the gathering of families so that is why it has become a symbolic dish during the lunar new year. For my family, it's a year-round one meal in a dish comfort food with stock made from pork meat and bones, lap cheong (Chinese sausage), napa cabbage, daikon (Chinese turnip), dried shitake mushroom, optional dried shrimp, and a generous helping of glutinous rice balls.

Tips for making glutinous rice ball soup (tang yuan)

Rolling the rice balls is probably the most time-consuming part of this recipe, but rest assured, there are ways to speed up the process. Experts who make tang yuan can roll multiple balls between their palms.  For me, my girls LOVE making this!  How did I get my girls to LOVE making this?  I made this into a craft.  With vials of food coloring, I told them to make their best, most colorful creation!  Sometimes they are solid in color.  Other times, they have a marbled effect.  No matter the color, the glutinous rice balls are always hearty and delicious. 

Glutinous Rice Flour.

When making these glutinous rice balls, make sure you use the correct rice flour.  GLUTINOUS rice flour will lend itself to the soft, chewy balls.  DO NOT USE THE REGULAR RICE FLOUR.

Rice to water ratio.

Although I have a specific recipe below, I believe it's important to learn the "science" behind cooking which frees one from constantly needing a recipe.  For the glutinous rice balls, the amount of liquid needed is 100% of the weight of the glutinous rice flour. This may differ when using vegetable juices. To avoid having an oversaturated dough, add the room temperature water a little at a time and have extra glutinous rice flour on hand in case you need to add just a little more flour for a better, workable consistency.

Water temperature.

As I've been working with dumpling doughs, I've realized that many recipes require adding boiling water.  The addition of boiling water increases the speed at which the flour absorbs the liquid which results in a smoother, more pliable dough that is silkier and easier to work with.  This process is called gelatinization.  Half of the water added is boiling water, followed by room temperature water.  The dough needs to be fairly stiff. See youtube video to ensure correct consistency.  Roll the dough into a long snake and cut into uniform pieces to ensure similar sized balls.  However, this is completely optional.  If the balls are unique in size, the larger balls will require a little more cooking than the smaller balls. Roll the balls between your palms.  With practice, multiple balls can be rolled at once.

Glutinous rice balls can be colored completely naturally or with food coloring. Vegetable juices such as carrot, spinach and beet can be used as natural food coloring. Otherwise, vials of food coloring are a quick and more flexible way of making colored balls.

Storing glutinous rice balls.

Excess glutinous rice balls can be stored by freezing the balls individually on a baking tray lined with a silicone mat. Once the balls are frozen, place them in a freezer bag. Boiling the frozen glutinous rice balls will require more  boiling time than the fresh glutinous rice balls. Don't defrost the frozen balls prior to boiling.

Tang yuan soup.

Cut the ingredients of the tang yuan soup into consistent sizes of about 2-2.5" (5-6 cm) in length.  The meat should be 1/4" (.5 cm) thick and the vegetables should be 1/2" (1.25 cm) thick.

Pork broth.

This savory glutinous rice ball soup (tang yuan) has a pork base soup that is made from pork meat and bones.  To avoid having to remove the fat layer from the soup, use lean pork.  Otherwise, make your pork stock a day ahead of time, strain the pork broth from the bones and refrigerate to allow the fat to congeal.  Once the fat has congealed, remove the fat.  Note that the fat does contain flavor so you may want to save a little in the soup!  

Some people throw the meat from the broth away.  However, my family likes the meat.  Shred the meat and put it on the side for people to add to their soup bowls or just serve the pork with its bones in the soup bowl.

Most ethnic markets sell pork (neck) bones specially for broth.  Select the bones that don't have the skin and appear meaty.  Rinse your bones / meat well as they may contain bone splinters.  Sometimes I forgo adding the pork loin strips and just eat the tender meat from the pork bones!

Chinese sausage.

Slice the Chinese sausage diagonally into 2-2.5" strips and 1/4" thick.  This definitely adds flavor to the soup.

Dried shrimp.

Small dried shrimp provides umami flavor to the soup.  Rinse the shrimp prior to adding it to the stock.

Pork loin strips.

Cut the pork loin into strips and marinate it with the basic meat marinade.  Add it to the soup at the end just to cook it.  Cooking it too long tends to toughen the meat. 

Vegetables.

I love making this a hearty soup that can function as a meal.  Both the daikon and napa cabbages give the soup "sweetness".  The rehydrated and marinated shitake mushrooms provide the umami flavor for the soup.

Enjoy this delicious glutinous rice ball soup (tang yuan) year round!