Five-Red Lean Pork Soup (Wu Hong Shou Rou Tang)

Why people make this soup

There is something satisfying about the “five reds” concept — every ingredient in this soup shares a warm, red colour, and each one has its own traditional rationale. Beetroot is the star: it has become well known in both East and West for its potential cardiovascular and digestive benefits, and its earthy sweetness gives the soup its backbone. Combined with adzuki beans to ease waterlogged puffiness, peanuts in their red skins for a blood-nourishing effect, antioxidant-rich tomato, and the classic warming red date, this is a soup that tastes genuinely good while checking a lot of wellness boxes. Nourilo particularly recommends it for anyone with anaemia or who tends to carry excess water weight.

Method

1. Rinse the beetroot including its stalks and leaves; peel and slice into rounds or wedges.
2. Soak and rinse the adzuki beans and red-skin peanuts.
3. Peel the tomatoes (score the base, briefly dip in boiling water, peel); cut into chunks.
4. Pit the red dates.
5. Blanch the lean pork in boiling water to remove impurities; drain.
6. Place all ingredients in a pot with 2.4 L of water.
7. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 90 minutes until the liquid reduces to about 1.2 L.
8. Serve the soup and solids together.

Nourilo’s Tips

Beetroot is unusually high in folate — a nutrient that the body relies on for making red blood cells. Women who have just given birth and are experiencing blood deficiency will find this soup particularly nourishing. It also has some traditional use for supporting thyroid health. The soup will turn a beautiful deep ruby colour; don’t be startled if it tints your urine slightly pink — this is harmless.