Fresh Yam, Glehnia, Polygonatum and Wild Duck Soup

Why people make this soup

Dry autumn and winter weather can leave skin parched and cracked — hard on older adults and on anyone with long-standing skin issues. Nourilo’s answer is to simmer more yin-nourishing, moistening soups. Here he uses unsulfured glehnia and Solomon’s seal — glehnia is traditionally associated with nourishing lung-yin and generating fluids, Solomon’s seal with moistening lung-dryness — then adds fresh yam, goji, a little Jinhua ham, and wild duck. The result is clear, savory, and a genuinely lovely soup for thirsty skin.

Method

1. Soak and rinse the glehnia, Solomon’s seal, and goji.
2. Peel the fresh yam and cut into chunks.
3. Clean the duck, remove the tail, cut into large pieces, and blanch together with the ham.
4. Simmer everything in 2.4–2.7 L of water for about 1.5 hours, reducing to 1.2–1.5 L.

Nourilo’s Tips

The fine northern glehnia (bei sha shen) works better than the thicker southern kind. Solomon’s seal can be replaced with sea-grown yu zhu. Young and old can enjoy this, but skip it while you have a cold with fever.