Black Fungus, Fig, and American Ginseng Double-Boiled Soup

Why people make this soup

Black wood ear fungus has a well-earned reputation in Chinese food-therapy as a blood-supporting, stasis-clearing ingredient. What is perhaps less known in the West is that it is also exceptionally high in dietary fibre — which is exactly why Cantonese cooks have used it for generations to help keep the bowels moving comfortably. Paired with the gentle sweetness of dried figs and the cooling, qi-supporting properties of American ginseng, this small double-boiled soup is simple, delicious, and genuinely useful for anyone dealing with sluggish digestion.