Coriander, Scallion, Century Egg and Fish Slice Soup

Why people make this soup

Muggy days, fierce air-conditioning, sweating then chilling — that back-and-forth is exactly how a cold sneaks in when your defences are a little low. Nourilo keeps this fast soup for the very first signs: chills, body achiness, a scratchy throat, a slight fever. Coriander, scallion whites and ginger are the classic warming, aromatic trio traditionally used to “release the exterior” — that is, to gently coax out a light sweat and help the body shake off the early invader.

Method

1. Rinse the ginger and cut into 6–7 slices. Rinse the coriander and scallion whites (keep the roots) and cut into lengths. Shell the century egg and cut into chunks. Skin the grass carp and slice thinly.
2. Put everything in a pot with 900 ml of water and boil about 5–6 minutes. Season and serve.

Nourilo’s Tips

Drink this soup hot, and let yourself break a light sweat — the cold’s early “evil” is then easier to drive out. You can have it for two or three meals in a row.