Daylily, Celery and Lean Pork Soup

Why people make this soup

Celery has a long track record in both Western nutrition science and Chinese food therapy as a vegetable that may support healthy blood pressure. The variety used here is Chinese celery (also called Tang celery or fragrant celery), which is thinner and more aromatic than Western celery but carries similar — and in traditional thinking, more potent — benefits. Combined with dried daylily buds (a vegetable-herb used in Chinese cooking for centuries) and sweet red dates, this soup is satisfying, easy to prepare on a weeknight, and gentle enough for the whole family including elderly members. Nourilo particularly recommends it for older adults dealing with fatigue, mild dizziness, or tinnitus.

Method

1. Soak and rinse dried daylily buds in water until softened.
2. Trim roots from the celery, wash, and cut into sections.
3. Pit the red dates.
4. Slice the lean pork and blanch briefly in boiling water; drain.
5. Place daylily buds, red dates, and pork into a pot with 1.8 L of water. Bring to a strong boil.
6. Add the celery pieces and continue cooking for 20 minutes.
7. Serve; eat both the soup and the solid ingredients.

Nourilo’s Tips

This soup is balanced in nature — neither warming nor cooling — so it is suitable for young and old. It is helpful for elderly people experiencing mild fatigue, ear ringing, dizziness, or digestive discomfort. If you live outside Hong Kong and cannot find Chinese celery, Western celery works as a substitute without any problem.