Cantonese Banquet Soup Recipe

Fish Maw Soup with Crab or Seafood

Fish maw soup is a Cantonese banquet-style soup using soaked fish maw with crab meat, seafood, mushrooms, or egg white.

Recipe at a glance

PurposeMenu-derived Chinese restaurant recipe family
Cuisine or formatCantonese Banquet Soup
Consolidation ruleClosely related menu names are treated as one recipe family when the sauce, technique, or format is the same.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup soaked fish maw, sliced
  • 6 cups chicken or seafood stock
  • 1/2 cup crab meat or mixed seafood
  • 1/2 cup mushrooms
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • White pepper
  • Cornstarch slurry
  • 1 egg white, optional
  • Scallions

Method

  1. Prepare fish maw according to package directions.
  2. Simmer stock with ginger.
  3. Add fish maw and mushrooms.
  4. Add crab meat or seafood.
  5. Season with soy sauce and white pepper.
  6. Thicken lightly if desired.
  7. Stir in egg white ribbons if using.

Menu-literacy notes

  • Fish maw is dried fish swim bladder valued for texture.
  • It is not vegetarian despite its mild appearance.
  • Crab meat and seafood versions are the same banquet-soup family.

Menu appearances covered by this recipe

  • Crab Meat with Fish Maw Soup
  • Seafood with Fish Maw Soup

Variations and substitutions

  • Adjust the protein or vegetable only when the core technique and sauce remain recognizable.
  • For allergies or religious dietary needs, check sauces, broth, wrappers, cooking wine, and shared wok or fryer use.
  • For restaurant-style versions, texture matters as much as flavor: noodles should not be mushy, fried items should not be soggy, and broths should remain clear unless the dish calls for thickness.

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