Watercress, Carrot, Dried Duck Gizzard & Pork Bone Soup

Why people make this soup

Watercress (xi yang cai) has peak season in spring and early summer, and Cantonese families have long considered it one of the finest vegetables for clearing heat from the lungs. When you have been eating too much fried or grilled food and find yourself feeling hot, irritable, and coughing with a dry or phlegmy sensation, this soup is the traditional go-to remedy. The key technique is to add the watercress only when the broth is already boiling — adding it too early can make the soup taste bitter and astringent. Cooked for the right amount of time with dried duck gizzard (a digestive tonic) and carrot (which supports the bowel), this soup becomes a genuine all-round family broth: clear, sweet, nourishing, and safe even for pregnant women.

Method

1. Blanch the pork neck bones in boiling water for 3 minutes; drain and rinse.
2. Peel and chunk the carrot. Soak and rinse the dried duck gizzard, tangerine peel, and dried figs.
3. Place the pork bones, carrot, duck gizzard, tangerine peel, and figs in a large pot with 2.4 L of water.
4. Bring to a strong boil, then add the watercress (do not add it before the water is boiling — adding it to cold or warm water causes bitterness).
5. Once the watercress goes in and the pot returns to a boil, reduce to a medium-low simmer.
6. Cook for 1.5 hours. The liquid should reduce to about 1.2–1.5 L.
7. Serve warm. Can be enjoyed regularly as a household wellness soup.

Nourilo’s Tips

The single most important technique with this soup is adding the watercress only to already-boiling water — this is the key to a sweet, clear broth rather than a bitter one. When washing the watercress, soak it briefly in lightly salted water; any small insects will float to the surface and can be rinsed away. Cooking for at least 1.5–2 hours also neutralises the vegetable’s natural cooling nature, making it suitable for people who are sensitive to cold foods and for pregnant women. If dried duck gizzard is hard to find, dried scallops work well as a substitute.