Daylily, Goji Berry, Spinach and Pork Liver Soup

Why people make this soup

Daylily buds — also called huang hua cai (yellow flower vegetable), wang you cao (forget-worries herb) or xuan cai — have been eaten in Chinese cuisine for centuries and are enjoyed as much for their mild, savoury flavour as for their traditional health associations. In Chinese food therapy, daylily is considered to calm the mind, support brain function and help reduce the emotional heat that comes from a busy, overstimulated liver. This is particularly relevant for people who tend to stay up late, work under pressure, are prone to mood swings, or are going through the hormonal fluctuations of menopause — all conditions where traditional medicine points to the liver as a key organ to support.

Combined with goji berries (traditionally nourishing to the liver and kidneys), spinach (iron-rich, blood-supporting) and pork liver (a classical blood-building ingredient in Chinese cooking), this soup is light, clear-tasting and broadly nourishing — suitable for children who tend to be irritable, and for adults managing stress or anaemia.

Method

1. Soak the dried daylily buds until soft; rinse well and tie each bud into a loose knot (this helps with texture and prevents them from dispersing in the soup). Soak and rinse the goji berries.
2. Remove the roots from the spinach and wash thoroughly. Slice the pork liver, then briefly blanch the slices in boiling water to remove impurities; drain.
3. Bring 1.8 L of water to a boil. Add the daylily buds and goji berries and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Add the spinach and blanched pork liver; continue to cook for a further 10 minutes.
5. Serve the soup and solid ingredients together.

Nourilo’s Tips

This is a soup the whole family can enjoy — its mellow, slightly savoury taste works well for both children and adults. For children who tend to have a hot, irritable temperament and throw frequent tantrums, regular servings of this soup are traditionally thought to be helpful. Adding a very small amount of cooking oil when serving can help with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamin A from the pork liver. The soup tastes light and clean — not at all heavy or liver-scented when the liver is properly blanched beforehand.