Ginkgo, Fox Nut, Peppercorn and Pork Tripe Soup

Why people make this soup

It is Christmas Eve, and the weather is still cold — hotpot is tempting but easily leaves you feeling “heaty,” so I thought I would buy some warming ingredients and make a soup that warms the stomach and dispels the cold instead. I still had ginkgo, fox nut, goji and white peppercorn in the cupboard, so I picked up a free-range chicken and some fresh pork tripe and added pickled mustard greens. It comes out delicious and nourishing, warms the spleen and stomach, supports the kidney qi and helps fend off the chill.

Method

1. Shell and de-core the ginkgo. Soak and rinse the fox nut and goji. Wash and chunk the pickled mustard greens. Scrub the tripe clean, blanch and cut into chunks. Clean the chicken and cut into large pieces.
2. Put everything into 2.4 L of water and simmer 2 hours until reduced to about 0.9–1.2 L. Serve.

Nourilo’s Tips

Scrub fresh pork tripe repeatedly with salt and flour (or cornflour), then blanch — the off smell disappears, and it stays delicious in the finished soup. If cleaning the tripe is too much trouble, use frozen pork tripe instead. Always remove the mildly toxic ginkgo cores before cooking.