Night-Blooming Jasmine Flower Pork Liver and Lean Pork Soup

Why people make this soup

In Chinese food therapy, flowers in general are associated with liver-calming and vision-supporting properties, and night-blooming jasmine (ye xiang hua) is particularly valued. This fragrant climbing vine flower is warm in nature — meaning people with a cold constitution can enjoy it without worry, unlike many liver-calming ingredients that are cooling. It is traditionally used to help with both acute and chronic eye inflammation (conjunctivitis), and the combination with pork liver makes a soup that smells and tastes far more interesting than its simple ingredient list suggests. That kind of cooking — fragrant, comforting, and genuinely nourishing — is exactly what traditional food therapy is about.

Method

1. Soak the night-blooming jasmine flowers in lightly salted water for a few minutes — this draws out any small insects hiding inside the buds. Rinse and drain.
2. Soak the pork liver in lightly salted water for about 30 minutes to draw out blood, then rinse clean and slice thinly. Slice the lean pork thinly as well.
3. Bring 1.5 L of water to a rolling boil. Add the pork liver and lean pork slices and return to a boil.
4. Add the night-blooming jasmine flowers and continue to boil for about 5 minutes.
5. Season with salt, and serve the soup with all the ingredients.

Nourilo’s Tips

When buying night-blooming jasmine, choose buds that are large and still closed (not yet open) — these are considered to have a stronger fragrance and more nourishing properties. The flowers are versatile: they also work well stir-fried with egg, cooked in a meat-slice stir-fry, or mixed into noodle broth. The brief soak in salted water is important to expel any tiny insects that may have taken up residence in the tight flower buds. Night-blooming jasmine is available at Chinese or Asian grocers when in season.