Golden Needle, Wood Ear, Tofu and Hairy Gourd Soup

Why people make this soup

Nourilo wrote this one with busy working women in mind. When you are juggling a job, a household and everyone else’s expectations, and nobody seems to understand, that bottled-up frustration is what traditional Chinese thinking calls liver-qi stagnation — and it can show up as irregular periods, a tight feeling under the ribs, or a bloated belly. This gentle soup is meant as a calm, nourishing bowl for exactly those days.

Method

1. Slice the lean pork and blanch it briefly to clean it.
2. Peel the hairy gourd and cut into chunks. Soak and rinse the daylily buds and wood ear. Cut the tofu into chunks.
3. Put everything in a pot with about 2.4 L of water.
4. Bring to a boil, then simmer about 1 hour until reduced to 1.2–1.5 L. Drink the soup and eat the ingredients.

Nourilo’s Tips

This soup is well suited to people with liver conditions, and also to those who are overweight or managing high blood pressure or diabetes.