Hap tou wu is a smooth, light-brown hot soup of toasted walnuts ground to a cream and thickened with rice flour. Brown slab sugar gives it a soft caramel sweetness that suits the rich walnut flavor. Makes 6 servings in about 1 hr.
Prep15 min
Cook30 min
Cooling15 min
Total
1 hr
Servings
6
DietVegan
Ingredients
Adjust yield
servings
Scales from a half to a double batch; give a bigger batch a little more time.
1 ⅔ cups (200 g)walnut halves
4 ¼ cups (980 ml)water
7 tbsp (90 g)chinese brown slab sugar or dark brown sugar, chopped
Heat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Drop the walnut halves into a pot of boiling water for 1 minute to soften the bitterness of the skins, then drain and pat dry.
Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast until golden in spots and fragrant, about 15 minutes. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
Blend the toasted walnuts with 500 ml of the water in a high-speed blender until very smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.
Whisk the rice flour into 240 ml of the water until no lumps remain.
Pour the walnut purée, the rice flour mixture and the remaining 240 ml water into a deep heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly from the bottom.
Add the Chinese brown slab sugar or dark brown sugar, lower the heat, and simmer, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves and the soup is slightly thickened and creamy, about 10 minutes. Serve hot in small bowls.
Tips
Blanching the walnuts first takes away much of the astringent taste of their skins.
Use a deep pot; the thick soup can bubble up and spatter as it comes to a boil.
Adjust the sugar to taste; slab sugars vary in sweetness.
Good with oolong tea.
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How long does it take to make hap tou wu (cantonese walnut cream soup)?
Plan on 15 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of cooking, plus 15 minutes to rest. The recipe makes 6 servings.
How should I store hap tou wu (cantonese walnut cream soup)?
Refrigerate covered for up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of water, stirring constantly.
Can I make hap tou wu (cantonese walnut cream soup) ahead?
It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.
Is this recipe vegan?
Yes, as written. Check that packaged ingredients such as chocolate, sprinkles and plant butter are labeled vegan.
A Cantonese tong sui of blanched, toasted walnuts ground with water, thickened with rice flour and traditionally sweetened with brown slab sugar. Serve it with oolong tea.
Variations
Walnut and red date: simmer 30 g (about 6) pitted red dates in the pot for the final 10 minutes and remove before serving; time unchanged.
Walnut and black sesame: replace 60 g (1/2 cup) of the walnuts with 60 g (1/3 cup) toasted black sesame seeds; time unchanged (contains sesame).
Silkier version: strain the walnut purée through a fine sieve before cooking, pressing on the solids; this adds about 5 minutes of prep and no cooking time.
Estimated · per serving
Nutrition
Per serving = 1 of 6 servings this recipe makes.
293Calories / serving
21.7gFat
23.4gCarbs
5.3gProtein
15.4gSugar
Whole recipe (6 servings):
~1758 cal ·
130g fat ·
140g carbs ·
32g protein ·
92g sugar
Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.
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