Almond Powder, Fresh & Dried Cabbage, Pork Lung & Pork Rib Soup

Why people make this soup

In Cantonese cooking, fresh and dried white cabbage are sometimes called “gold and silver vegetables” (jin yin cai) — the fresh green representing gold and the pale dried version representing silver. When combined in a soup and simmered for a long time, their cooling, slightly dry qualities balance beautifully, and the broth becomes gentle and nourishing rather than starkly cold. Adding almond powder at the end is a trick that gives the soup extra lung-moistening properties and a subtle richness. Pork lung has traditionally been used in Cantonese food therapy based on the principle that “like nourishes like” — feeding the lung to support the organ itself. This is a seasonal soup that fits dry autumn weather particularly well.