Lotus Root Water Chestnut Pork Shank Soup

Why people make this soup

Autumn is the season when lotus root comes into its best form — full, starchy, and sweetly fragrant. Nourilo notes that lotus root has an interesting dual nature in Chinese food therapy: eaten raw, it is cooling and can help clear heat and stop bleeding; once cooked, its nature shifts to warming, making it nourishing to the stomach and spleen, supportive of qi and blood, and helpful for loose stools. This means a cooked lotus root soup is accessible to far more people than the raw form. Combined with water chestnuts (which clear heat gently) and red dates (which support blood), this soup achieves a pleasant balance — nourishing without being too warming, suitable even for those who tend toward yin deficiency or find it hard to tolerate richer tonic soups. The pork shin provides protein and a clean, mild broth base.

Method

1. Peel the lotus root, cut into chunks, and rinse well.
2. Peel and rinse the water chestnuts.
3. Pit the red dates.
4. Cut the pork shin into chunks and blanch briefly in boiling water; rinse with cold water.
5. Place all ingredients into a clay pot, ceramic pot or stainless steel pot with 2.4 L of water. Avoid iron pots — the acidity of lotus root reacts with iron.
6. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a medium-low simmer and cook for 2 hours.
7. Serve warm; eat the lotus root, water chestnuts and pork along with the soup.

Nourilo’s Tips

Lotus root contains a relatively high amount of iron, making it particularly suitable for people with iron-deficiency anaemia, those prone to bruising, or those with a history of bleeding conditions. Remember to use a clay pot or ceramic pot (or at least stainless steel) — iron cookware will discolour the soup and reduce its quality. This soup is also suitable during pregnancy, providing a gentle, non-stimulating source of nourishment.