Hawthorn, Malt, Chicken Gizzard Lining and Green Radish Soup

Why people make this soup

After the festive season it’s easy to overdo it — fatty chicken, rich beef, braised pork knuckle, melt-in-the-mouth pork belly. Eat too much of that and the stomach feels stuffed and sluggish. Nourilo’s answer is this savoury pot: hawthorn, malt, chicken gizzard lining and green radish are traditionally used to support the appetite and help clear the stagnation that comes from meaty and starchy foods. A good one for the whole family once the holidays wind down.

Method

1. Slice the lean pork and blanch it. Peel and cut the green radish into chunks. Soak and rinse the remaining ingredients.
2. Put everything in a pot with 2.4 L of water.
3. Simmer for about 1.5 hours until reduced to 1.2 L. Serve.

Nourilo’s Tips

This soup supports the spleen, “moves” qi and helps clear stagnation, suiting young and old — but because several ingredients are traditionally thought to reduce milk supply, breastfeeding mothers should not drink it.