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

The five red-hued ingredients are beetroot, adzuki beans, red-skin peanuts, tomato, and red dates. Each has its own traditional rationale: adzuki beans are traditionally used to ease waterlogged puffiness, red-skin peanuts are associated with a blood-nourishing effect, tomato contributes antioxidant benefits, red dates are a classic warming ingredient, and beetroot lends earthy sweetness along with potential cardiovascular and digestive benefits.

The recipe particularly recommends this soup for anyone with anaemia or who tends to carry excess water weight. Women who have just given birth and are experiencing blood deficiency are also noted as finding this soup particularly nourishing, as beetroot is unusually high in folate, a nutrient the body relies on for making red blood cells.

Preparation takes about 15 minutes, and the soup simmers for 90 minutes, for a total time of approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. Starting from 2.4 litres of water, the finished soup reduces to about 1.2 litres.

The recipe notes that beetroot can tint your urine slightly pink after drinking this soup, and explicitly states this is harmless. The soup itself takes on a deep ruby colour from the beetroot.

Yes, the recipe calls for one medium bulb of beetroot with its stalks and leaves included. All parts are rinsed, then the bulb is peeled and sliced into rounds or wedges before being added to the pot.