Soybean Sprout, Tofu and Fresh Fish Slow-Cooked Soup

Why people make this soup

Soybean sprouts, tofu, and fresh fish come together to make a humble but beautifully effective slow-cooked soup. In Chinese food therapy, this combination is considered particularly well-suited for clearing internal heat — the dull, uncomfortable kind that shows up as mouth ulcers, swollen gum tissue, lip sores, or the irritability and restlessness common during hot weather or menopausal transitions. Smaller fresh fish such as red perch or red tilapia work wonderfully here: they make a milky, flavourful broth and are more readily available than large ocean fish during the summer fishing rest season.

Method

1. Pinch off the root tips from the soybean sprouts; rinse well.
2. Cut the tofu into large chunks. Use firm tofu designed for soups — it holds its shape better.
3. Clean the fish: gut it and remove the head. Pat dry.
4. Heat a little oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Pan-sear the fish with the ginger slices until both sides are lightly golden. This reduces fishiness and helps create a milky, flavourful broth.
5. Transfer the fish to a pot. Add the soybean sprouts, tofu, and 2.4 L of water. Bring to a boil.
6. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for about 2 hours, until the liquid reduces to roughly 1.2 L.
7. Serve the broth and eat the tofu and sprouts alongside. The fish can be enjoyed too, though it will be very soft after this length of cooking.

Nourilo’s Tips

This soup has a clean, refreshing character that makes it useful beyond just the heat-clearing purpose — it is a good everyday family soup in warm weather. When simmering tofu for a long time, use soup-grade firm tofu and cook on a low, gentle heat after the initial boil to keep it from falling apart. If red perch is unavailable, red snapper, tilapia, or other small whole fresh fish work well. Nourilo notes that you can also add century egg (pi dan) and lean pork to make a porridge version — this also calms internal heat. A commenter shared that soybean sprouts cooked and eaten on their own (even for several days as a folk remedy) was traditionally claimed to help dissolve flat warts.