Kudzu, Soybean & Job's Tears Pork Bone Soup

Why people make this soup

I picked up a kind of green-skinned soybean in the countryside — freshly sun-dried, so the beans still looked green. Boiled into soup they turn back to yellow, but the broth comes out wonderfully sweet and clean. Kudzu (fen ge) is the star here: in Chinese food tradition it is the go-to root for cooling down a hot, restless body and for loosening a stiff, sore neck and upper back. Paired with soybeans, Job’s tears and pork bone, it makes a gentle everyday soup that many people drink to support steady blood pressure.

Method

1. Peel the kudzu and cut into chunks. Soak and rinse the soybeans and Job’s tears.
2. Blanch the pork bones to remove scum, then drain.
3. Put everything in a pot with 2.4 L of water.
4. Boil about 2 hours until reduced to 1.2 L. Eat the soup together with the solids.

Nourilo’s Tips

This soup is also helpful when a cold leaves your neck and back muscles tight and sore, with red eyes or scanty dark urine. If muscles ache after hard exercise, you can add about 38 g of fresh niu da li (Millettia root) to help relax the sinews. If you have frequent night urination, use adzuki and hyacinth beans instead of raw Job’s tears.