Fresh Mushroom and Lean Pork Soup

Why people make this soup

Organically grown fresh mushrooms have a cleaner, sweeter aroma than ordinary ones and make a wonderful everyday soup. Bro Niu had hoped to use fresh monkey-head mushrooms (there’s an old saying, “monkey-head in the mountains is the equal of bird’s nest from the sea”), but they can be hard to find, and white beech mushrooms are a fine substitute. All fresh mushrooms carry polysaccharides, which traditional cooks associate with supporting the body, so this simple soup makes an easy, tasty everyday choice.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suits the whole family as a light, savory soup, and people who simply enjoy a clean mushroom broth
• If you have a medical condition, gout, or are under treatment, check with your own doctor first — this is food, not therapy

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Fresh mushrooms (xian gu): traditionally regarded as strengthening to the spleen and stomach; all carry natural polysaccharides and are associated with supporting the body
• White beech / king oyster mushroom (bai ling gu): in tradition linked with steadying the body and supporting healthy blood pressure and blood sugar
• Lean pork (shou rou): adds protein and a gentle savory sweetness to round out the broth

Ingredients (3–4 bowls)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Fresh straw mushrooms (organic)	~75 g	trim feet
Fresh king oyster / white beech mushrooms	~75 g	trim feet, slice
Lean pork	~225 g	sliced
Water	4 bowls	—

Method

1. Slice the lean pork.
2. Rinse both mushrooms and trim away the tough feet; slice the white beech mushroom.
3. Add all ingredients to 4 bowls of water and simmer for about 20 minutes.
4. Drink the soup and eat the mushrooms and pork.

Bro Niu’s tips

Genuinely fresh organic straw and beech mushrooms do not need to be blanched first — simmered straight in, they give a beautifully sweet, fresh broth. But ordinary market mushrooms should be blanched first, or the soup can take on an earthy, muddy taste.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (audrey): How should fresh straw mushrooms be stored? Bro Niu: Fresh straw mushrooms are best cooked the day you buy them — don’t keep them more than a day. Organic ones may hold for two days. Dried mushrooms are different and keep much longer in a cool, dark spot.
• Q (kathy): My mother is being treated for cancer and was told mushrooms might be “toxic.” Can she eat them? Bro Niu: Everyday mushrooms like shiitake, monkey-head and straw mushrooms are fine to eat. You might also simmer a lean-pork soup with huai shan, goji, lotus seed, lily bulb, snow fungus and red dates to gently support the spleen and digestion.

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Published January 10, 2011 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.