Four-Spirit Beef Loach Fish Soup

Why people make this soup

Nourilo shares this one with a personal note: he is always careful about his health, yet recently went through a major operation. His point to readers is simple and heartfelt — no matter how careful you are, pay close attention to changes in your body, and see a doctor at the first sign something is off. As he recovers, he turns to this gentle “four-spirit” (si shen) soup. The four classic ingredients — yam, lotus seed, poria and euryale — are traditionally used to strengthen the spleen and kidney and support the body’s overall constitution, which is exactly what someone rebuilding their strength wants.

Method

1. Soak and rinse the dried ingredients; pit the red dates.
2. Clean the fish well and pan-fry it in a little oil until fragrant.
3. Bring 2.7 L of water to a boil, add all ingredients.
4. Cook for about 1.5 hours until reduced to 1.2–1.5 L, then serve.

Nourilo’s Tips

Any fresh sea fish makes a sweet, wholesome broth. But after surgery, patients should avoid scaleless fish and “trigger” freshwater fish such as snakehead or spotted bass, which are traditionally thought to be unsuitable during wound healing.