{"id":44439,"date":"2025-10-17T15:11:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T19:11:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/omnivorescookbook.com\/?p=44439"},"modified":"2025-10-23T09:05:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T13:05:13","slug":"chinese-braised-pea-shoots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/omnivorescookbook.com\/chinese-braised-pea-shoots\/","title":{"rendered":"Chinese Braised Pea Shoots (\u4e0a\u6c64\u7897\u8c46\u5c16)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Chinese braised pea shoots is one of my favorite side dishes. Snow pea shoots and shimeji mushrooms are simmered in chicken stock infused with ginger, garlic, dried seafood and century egg, creating a vibrant vegetable dish that is full of texture and flavor. It is very easy to put together and allows you to enjoy a large amount of vegetables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Chinese<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Chinese braised pea shoots, or \u4e0a\u6c64\u7897\u8c46\u5c16 (Sh\u00e0ng T\u0101ng W\u01cen D\u00f2u Ji\u0101n), can be directly translated to snow pea shoots braised in superior broth. It is a comforting vegetable side dish that showcases the natural sweetness and tenderness of fresh pea shoots. Light yet flavorful, the greens are braised in a savory broth enriched with garlic, and a touch of umami from century eggs, dried shrimp and scallops. It\u2019s a classic Cantonese restaurant favorite that is easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner, and fantastic enough to serve for a celebratory occasion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this recipe, I want to introduce the version I enjoy the most. It uses shimeji mushrooms to add texture and color. I like to use both dried shrimp and dried scallops for umami, and century eggs for texture. I skipped the ham (also used in many traditional recipes) for a clean and delicate flavor. <\/p>\n\n\n\t\t

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Pea shoots in Chinese cooking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Pea shoots (\u8c4c\u8c46\u82d7 \/ \u8c46\u82d7, d\u00f2u mi\u00e1o<\/em>) are the young, tender tips of the snow pea plant. They have delicate leaves, thin stems, and a mild, slightly grassy sweetness reminiscent of sugar snap peas. In Chinese cuisine, pea shoots are a seasonal delicacy, especially popular in late fall, winter and early spring when they\u2019re most tender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll often find stir-fried pea shoots with garlic<\/a> in Cantonese and Sichuan restaurants. But  some restaurants serve the version made with \u201csuperior broth\u201d (\u4e0a\u6c64) , a slightly upgraded version that makes the dish more delicate and luxurious. <\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\t\t\r\n\t\t\n\n\n

Ingredients<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Ingredients<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How to shop for pea shoots<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You can often find snow pea shoots in large Asian markets and Chinese markets, sold by the bag. Note, these shoots are quite large and have thicker stems, making them different from the small and thin pea sprouts sometimes sold at farmer\u2019s markets and Japanese markets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pea shoots are a cold weather crop and their peak season goes from fall, through winter and early spring. You should always buy pea shoots during peak season, otherwise they tend to be very fibrous and tough. Since they are often sold in open bags, you should check a pea shoot by snapping off the end of the stem. If it\u2019s easy to snap off, the pea shoots are tender. If the stem is hard to break, the pea shoots might be too mature and will have a tough texture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dried scallops<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Dried scallops, (\u5e72\u8d1d, g\u0101n b\u00e8i), or Conpoy, is a type of dried seafood product that is commonly used in Chinese cooking such as seafood congee<\/a> and xo sauce<\/a>. It is made from the adductor muscles of scallops and tastes seafoody and tender once rehydrated. I always like to use dried scallops to infuse the broth with a rich umami. And the scallop itself is tasty, too<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can usually find this ingredient in the refrigerated section of Chinese and Asian markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dried shrimp<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Dried shrimp, (\u6d77\u7c73, h\u01cei m\u01d0), means headless small dried shrimp that comes in different sizes. There are the shell-on and shell-less types, and I always use the shell-less type in my recipes for a better texture. Similar to dried scallops, it has a seafoody taste and a hint of sweetness. I like to use dried shrimp along with dried scallops to further add umami to the pea shoot broth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can usually find this ingredient in the refrigerated section of Chinese and Asian markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Century eggs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Century eggs (\u76ae\u86cb, p\u00ed d\u00e0n) have a creamy yolk and a savory earthy flavor that infuses into the broth as it simmers. This deepens the taste of the \u201csuperior stock,\u201d making it richer and more complex without needing extra seasoning. Century egg itself also adds texture to the dish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can usually find this ingredient in the refrigerated section of Chinese and Asian markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chicken stock<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When Chinese restaurants make braised pea shoots, the base broth is a rich stock made from a combination of chicken, pork, and dried ham. In a perfect world, you should make the broth using homemade chicken stock<\/a>. But since I wanted to make this recipe more approachable, storeought chicken stock plus extra chicken bouillon powder will do the trick. I also used extra dried ingredients in my recipe to add umami and compensate for the boxed stock. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other common ingredients in braised pea shoots<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are many different ways to put together braised pea shoots and every chef has their own approach and preferences when it comes to making the superior broth. Some of the most frequently used ingredients includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n