Shanxian Goat Soup 单县羊肉汤
Shanxian Goat Soup is featured among the local specialties of Shandong.
Shanxian Goat Soup (单县羊肉汤) uses local Qingshan goats (青山羊) and is known for its milky-white broth. Laonian Shenghuo Bao (老年生活报), published by Qingdao Daily Group (青岛日报社), describes tender meat and a clear, fresh aroma.
Building the broth
In the newspaper’s method, meat, offal and bones go into heated water, which is brought to a strong boil. The cook skims off foam, adds cold water, brings the pot back to the boil and skims again. Goat fat is then added, followed by another skimming. Baizhi (白芷), cassia, tsaoko, dried tangerine peel, apricot kernels and salt season the broth, which cooks for a further forty minutes.
White broth with restrained spice
The heat must be sufficient to bring the water and fat together. The newspaper emphasizes measured seasoning: too much gives the soup an overpowering herbal taste. A little ground clove is added as the soup is ladled into bowls.
Sources & reading
Written from the linked sources and fact-checked against them on 2026-09-27. Recipes and servings vary between kitchens.
Image credits & notes (1)
- Reference photo of a similar dish · 同类菜品参考照片A similar preparation is pictured; the local version may differ. 同类菜品参考照片，当地做法可能不同。Photo: Peachyeung316 · CC BY-SA 4.0Resized for the web; the photo itself has not been edited. Thumbnails may show a cropped view.
