Ginkgo, Almond and Pork Lung Soup

Why people make this soup

At this time of year a lot of children pick up respiratory bugs, and even after the fever has gone and the medicine is finished, a stubborn cough and phlegm can hang around. Steamed pear with chuan bei and tangerine peel helps, but if the whole family wants something for the season, a pork lung soup with ginkgo and almonds is just the thing. The pork lung takes some work to clean, but it cooks up genuinely delicious — and the soup is clear, sweet and gently soothing.

Method

1. Shell and de-core the ginkgo nuts. Mix the almond powder with a little water. Soak and rinse the tangerine peel. Clean the pork lung thoroughly. Blanch the pork ribs.
2. Put everything except the almond powder into 2.7 L of water and simmer 2 hours until reduced to about 1.2 L.
3. Stir in the almond powder, cook a moment longer, and serve.

Nourilo’s Tips

Ginkgo cores are mildly toxic, so always remove them before cooking. To clean pork lung, run water into the windpipe at the tap, let it swell, then prick the surface with a needle to let the blood water drain; repeat two or three times until the lung turns pale. Browning it briefly with ginger gives an even better soup. Beyond easing cough and wheeze, this soup is also nourishing for the skin and helps those who wake often to urinate at night.