Soups
Prosperity Soup (Fat Choy Hou Si Soup)
A savory soup traditionally chosen to settle the stomach after rich, heaty holiday eating
Why people make this soup
The festive season always means too many melon seeds, candies and fried, oily treats, leaving a weaker stomach feeling stuffed and sluggish — sometimes with mouth ulcers or cracked, sore corners of the mouth from “heatiness.” After the holidays, Bro Niu likes to simmer something light and clearing. This “Prosperity Soup” does double duty: a lucky New Year name (fat choy = black moss; hou si = dried oysters), and a smart way to use up the leftover dried seafood from the holidays. It’s traditionally seen as settling the stomach, clearing heat, and easing that over-stuffed feeling.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- A friendly family soup for anyone feeling over-full, heaty or sluggish after rich eating.
- People with gout may prefer to leave out the soybeans (swap in a few water chestnuts instead — see the Q&A). Otherwise mild and widely suitable.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Dried oysters (hao chi) and scallops (yao zhu): Savory dried seafood that gives the soup depth; scallops are traditionally associated with supporting healthy blood pressure.
- Black moss / fat choy (fa cai): The auspicious “prosperity” ingredient that gives the soup its name.
- Soybeans (huang dou), ginger and red dates: Round out the flavor; ginger and dates add a little warmth and balance.
Ingredients (4 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Black moss / fat choy | ~11 g | Rinse and soak |
| Dried oysters | ~113 g | Rinse and soak |
| Soybeans | ~37.5 g | Rinse and soak; omit for gout |
| Dried scallops | 3 pieces | Rinse and soak |
| Fresh ginger | 2 slices | |
| Red dates | 6–8 | Pitted |
Method
- Separately rinse and soak the dried oysters, black moss, soybeans and scallops.
- Put all the ingredients in a pot with 8 bowls of water.
- Simmer about 2 hours until reduced to roughly 4 bowls, then serve.
Bro Niu’s tips
This soup helps clear the gut and ease holiday heatiness, and is traditionally said to help head off sore throat, constipation and mouth ulcers. You can add chestnuts, or shiitake mushrooms (about 4) and peanuts or black-eyed peas (~37.5 g) if you like.
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (Tom): Can I add shiitake mushrooms and peanuts? How much? Bro Niu: Yes — about 4 shiitake mushrooms and ~37.5 g of peanuts or black-eyed peas.
- Q (Pink Puppet): Can I leave out the soybeans? (I have gout.) Bro Niu: Yes, leave out the soybeans and use a few water chestnuts instead.
- Q (sweetcutecat): Can people with the “three highs” (blood pressure, sugar, lipids) eat scallops? Bro Niu: Yes — dried scallops are traditionally associated with supporting healthy blood pressure.
Published January 29, 2011 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.
