Night Jasmine, Wolfberry, Carrot and Pork Liver Soup

Why people make this soup

Night jasmine (ye xiang hua) is a climbing vine with highly fragrant flowers, available at Chinese or Asian grocers in small boxes or bundles. The flower buds — especially the plump, tightly closed ones that have not yet opened — have a delicate aroma and a pleasant taste whether simmered in broth or stir-fried with egg. In traditional food therapy, the plant is considered helpful for clearing stagnation from the liver and improving the eyes. Combined with wolfberries and carrot (both long associated with eye health in both Eastern and Western nutrition), and bolstered by pork liver which is genuinely rich in vitamin A and iron, this soup quietly delivers a concentrated dose of nutrients in a very drinkable, pleasant-tasting form. The bonus benefit: it is traditionally said to freshen breath and clear that stale taste people sometimes notice after long hours in a mask.

Method

1. Rinse the night jasmine buds gently and set aside.
2. Briefly soak and rinse the wolfberries.
3. Peel the carrot and cut into thin slices.
4. Slice both the pork liver and lean pork into thin pieces; rinse the liver well under running water.
5. Bring 1.8 L of water to a rolling boil. Add the pork liver, lean pork and wolfberries. Cook at a lively simmer for about 15 minutes.
6. Add the night jasmine buds and carrot slices. Continue cooking for a further 4–5 minutes until the flowers are just tender.
7. Serve immediately. Eat the broth and all the solid ingredients together.

Nourilo’s Tips

For the best result, choose night jasmine buds that are plump and have not yet opened — these have the most fragrance and the best texture. If you can only find fully opened flowers, they still work, but the flavour is lighter. Folk tradition associates night jasmine with calming emotional restlessness and easing rib-area tension — so if you have been feeling a bit flat or knotted inside, this soup might be a gentle way to address that alongside its more well-known eye-supporting benefits.