Chinese Yam, Yu Zhu, Shi Hu and Dried Conch Soup

Why people make this soup

When someone is drinking a lot, eating a lot, passing a lot of urine and still losing weight and feeling weak, it is worth getting checked. This soup is something Nourilo offers as a gentle everyday support: a sweet, savoury pot of even-natured foods that is traditionally said to support the spleen, nourish yin, benefit the eyes and is associated with steadier blood sugar. It is mild enough for the whole family.

Method

1. Rinse and soak the dried ingredients; slice and blanch the lean pork.
2. Add everything to a pot with about 2.4 L of water and simmer about 2 hours, down to roughly 1.2 L.
3. Drink the soup and eat the ingredients.

Nourilo’s Tips

This is a sweet, tasty everyday wellness soup, traditionally good for the eyes and for blood-sugar care. If you don’t have dried conch, you can use 2–3 dried scallops, or simply rely on the lean pork. If dendrobium is unavailable, about 38 g of lotus seed makes a good stand-in (avoid the bitter chuan shi hu, which spoils the flavour).