Burdock Root, Phyllanthus (Oil Gan Zi) and Water Chestnut Soup

Why people make this soup

People with diabetes are often told to be careful with sweet fruit — and that is sound advice for high-sugar varieties. But Nourilo points out that tart, astringent fruits are a different story: sour and astringent-tasting fruits like guava, fresh hawthorn, phyllanthus (Indian gooseberry), and kiwi are actually associated in Chinese dietary tradition with helping to regulate blood sugar. The day this soup came together, Nourilo had spotted both fresh phyllanthus and newly arrived slender burdock root at a herbal produce stall — the slender variety having a stronger flavour and better therapeutic quality than the thick ones. Water chestnut and carrot were added to balance out the tartness of the phyllanthus and add a natural sweetness. The result is a satisfying, lightly sweet-sour soup that is equally good as a general health soup for the whole family, and particularly suitable for weight management and cardiovascular support.

Method

1. Peel the burdock root and carrot; cut both into chunks. (Burdock skin is edible — just scrub it thoroughly if you prefer to leave it on.)
2. Peel the water chestnuts.
3. Wash phyllanthus fruit and crack each one gently with the flat of a knife.
4. Slice the pork and blanch briefly in boiling water. Drain.
5. Add all ingredients to a clay, ceramic, or stainless steel pot with 2.4 L of cold water.
6. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a medium-low simmer.
7. Cook for approximately 2 hours until you have about 1.2 L of soup. Drink the soup and eat the solid ingredients.

Nourilo’s Tips

Choose slender burdock roots over thick ones — they are more fragrant and considered more therapeutically effective. If you live somewhere where phyllanthus is not available (such as overseas), guava or kiwi fruit are reasonable substitutes: both are tart, low-sugar fruits that carry a similar association in Chinese dietary wisdom. This soup is also suitable for cooking in a steamer (zheng dun), but allow 2–3 hours of steaming time. Adding a little walnut, chestnut, or black wood-ear fungus is fine for variety.