Loach Fish, Potato, Tomato, and Carrot Soup

Why people make this soup

Many parents in Cantonese households are familiar with a child who sweats through their clothes at night, soaks the pillow, or comes in from the garden dripping even in mild weather. In traditional Chinese food therapy, this pattern is often linked to a constitution where the spleen and stomach need strengthening — when digestion is weak, the body struggles to consolidate its resources, and fluids are not held in place. Loach fish (ni qiu) is an ingredient Nourilo genuinely loves for children: it is delicate in flavour, very easily digested, low in cholesterol, and high in protein. It is not the most glamorous fish to prepare, but once you learn the trick of blanching it in a mesh bag first, it becomes quite easy to work with, and the resulting soup is mild and naturally sweet from the vegetables.

Method

1. Place the live loach fish into a fine-mesh bag or cheesecloth and tie it securely. Drop the bag into boiling water for a brief moment to stun and blanch the fish. Remove the bag and rinse the fish under running water to wash off the slime.
2. Remove the fish from the bag, clean out the intestines (or cut off the heads and bellies). Pan-fry briefly in a little oil until lightly golden — this improves the flavour and reduces fishiness.
3. Peel and cut the potato and carrot into chunks. Wash and cut the tomatoes into wedges.
4. Place all ingredients together in a pot. Add 2.1–2.4 L of cold water.
5. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, then reduce to a medium-low simmer for 1 hour.
6. Serve the soup together with the vegetables and fish — the solid ingredients are nutritious and worth eating.

Nourilo’s Tips

• This soup is suitable for the whole family, not just children. Adults with cardiovascular concerns, hepatitis, or general fatigue will also find it beneficial.
• Do not give this soup to anyone with a heat constitution or active yin-deficiency interior heat.
• If a child sweats heavily and you want an additional remedy, Nourilo suggests adding fu xiao mai (light wheat, 19 g / 19 g) and qing ren hei dou (black soybeans, 37 g / 38 g) to help consolidate fluids and reduce sweating.