Soups
Night-Blooming Jasmine, Goji Berry and Fresh Fish Soup
traditionally clears liver heat, brightens the eyes, and supports recovery after surgery
Why people make this soup
Night-blooming jasmine (Telosma cordata) is a climbing shrub whose small yellow-green flowers open in the evening, releasing a delicate, intensely sweet fragrance. In Chinese food therapy, the flowers are valued not just for their beauty but for their traditionally documented ability to clear liver heat, brighten the eyes, and help with conditions like redness, irritation and clouding of the cornea. Bro Niu recalls encountering wild clusters of this plant growing along a hillside on a trip to one of Hong Kong’s outlying islands — he picked a generous bunch and made this soup with scrambled eggs and sliced pork that evening. It was both delicious and nourishing. Paired with goji berries, long celebrated for nourishing the liver and kidneys and supporting eye health, this becomes a beautifully simple, fragrant soup that is ready in under 30 minutes.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Suitable for most people, particularly those with declining vision, dry or irritated eyes, redness or eye strain
- Beneficial for post-surgery patients and new mothers (sea bass in particular is associated with wound healing)
- Generally mild and widely suitable
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Night-blooming jasmine (ye xiang hua): Tastes mildly sweet and neutral in nature; traditionally used to clear liver heat, brighten the eyes, reduce eye cloudiness (corneal opacity), and draw out toxins from sores and abscesses; the flowers are most often used fresh
- Goji berries (gou qi zi): One of the most well-known Chinese food-therapy ingredients for liver and kidney nourishment; traditionally associated with improving vision and alleviating dry eyes; mild and suitable for all ages
- Fresh fish: High-quality protein that supports the body’s natural repair processes; sea bass (lu yu) in particular is associated in traditional wellness with deep wound healing, making this soup especially beneficial after surgery or childbirth
- Ginger: Warms the stomach and helps neutralise any “fishiness”
Ingredients (4 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Night-blooming jasmine flowers | 115 g | Fresh; rinse gently |
| Goji berries | 9 g | Rinse and soak briefly |
| Fresh ginger | 2 slices | |
| Fresh fish (sea bass or similar) | 600 g | Cleaned; pan-fry briefly before simmering |
| Cooking oil | A little | For frying fish |
| Water | 6 bowls (~1.2 L) | Use boiling water for the soup |
Method
- Clean and rinse the fish. Pat dry. Heat a little oil in a pan and fry the fish until lightly golden on both sides. This step is important — it helps produce a milky white, flavourful broth.
- Transfer the fish and ginger slices to a pot. Add 6 bowls of boiling water.
- Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the night-blooming jasmine flowers and goji berries.
- Simmer for a further 5 minutes, then serve immediately. Aim for about 4 bowls of finished soup.
Bro Niu’s tips
The fish used here is sea bass — farmed sea bass is widely available, reasonably priced, and rich in protein. While the flesh is slightly firmer than some other fish, it is excellent in quick-cooked soups and is particularly associated with supporting deep wound healing. This makes the soup a good choice for post-surgery patients, new mothers, or anyone recovering from physical injury. Night-blooming jasmine flowers are best added at the end of cooking to preserve their delicate aroma and colour — just 5 minutes of simmering is sufficient.
Community questions answered (selected)
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Q (JK, reader): My elderly relative has diabetes-related skin problems and itching. Is sea bass suitable for them, or should I use a different fish? Bro Niu: Sea bass has scales and is generally fine even for mild skin conditions. The fish to avoid are scaleless varieties — eel, cuttlefish, squid, octopus, ribbonfish. Most small sea fish are fine.
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Q (Apple, reader): I just had my gallbladder removed. Can I drink this soup? Can I also have red dates, goji and longan tea? Bro Niu: Yes, you can drink this soup. Red date, goji and longan tea is also fine. For the first six months after surgery, avoid high-fat and greasy foods.
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Q (Lace, reader): What fish soup can help with recovery after a bone fracture surgery? Bro Niu: In the first week after bone fracture surgery, use notoginseng (tian qi / tian san qi) in soups to promote blood circulation and clear bruising. From the second week onward, stop the notoginseng and focus on kidney-nourishing foods like morinda root, eucommia bark, chestnuts, black beans, and gordon euryale seeds.
Published June 12, 2017 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.
