Soybean Sprout, Tofu and Pork Shank Soup

Why people make this soup

Warts are extremely common in Hong Kong’s warm, humid climate, and they can appear on the face, neck, and body in a variety of forms — flat warts, filiform warts, and the brownish, raised patches often seen on older skin. Conventional medicine treats them effectively, but many people are curious whether everyday diet can play a supporting role. In traditional food therapy, soybean sprouts are believed to contain a phospholipid compound that may help inhibit wart growth, while also dispersing what Chinese medicine describes as “wind accumulation.” Combined with silky tofu and warming ginger, this clear, lightly flavoured soup is also thought to help cool stomach heat and ease the mouth sores that come from burning the midnight oil.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suitable for the whole family — children and elderly included
• The addition of ginger and the longer cooking time (over 90 minutes) temper the cooling nature of the tofu, so people with a cold-prone constitution can generally enjoy it too
• Those with an active cold or fever should focus on recovering first before adding extra soups to the diet

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Soybean sprouts (da dou ya cai): Research points to a phospholipid content that may help inhibit abnormal skin-cell growth; traditionally described as dispersing wind accumulation and reducing knots
• Tofu (dou fu): Cooling in nature, traditionally used to clear stomach fire and ease inflammation; provides gentle plant-based protein
• Fresh ginger (sheng jiang): Warms the centre, counters the cold nature of tofu, aids digestion and makes the soup suitable for a wider range of constitutions
• Pork shank (zhu zhan): Nourishes and provides body to the broth without making it fatty or heavy

Ingredients (4 bowls)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Soybean sprouts	450 g	Keep the roots on; rinse thoroughly
Firm tofu	1 block	Cut into cubes
Fresh ginger	3 slices	No need to peel
Pork shank	~400 g	Cut into pieces; blanch briefly to remove impurities

Method

1. Rinse the soybean sprouts thoroughly, keeping the roots intact.
2. Cut the tofu into large cubes.
3. Cut the pork shank into pieces and blanch in boiling water for 2–3 minutes; rinse and drain.
4. Place all ingredients into a pot with 8 bowls (approximately 1.9 litres) of water.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a medium-low simmer for about 1.5 hours until reduced to 4 bowls.
6. Serve with the soup ingredients — the sprouts and tofu are especially good to eat.

Bro Niu’s tips

This soup is naturally sweet and mild — even children and older family members will enjoy it. Because ginger is added and the pot simmers for well over an hour, the final soup is not overly cooling, making it accessible even for those who tend to feel cold easily. If you want a more focused approach to flat warts and have a flexible few days, a traditional folk remedy involves eating nothing but lightly salted soybean-sprout soup (with ginger) for two to three consecutive days — Bro Niu tried it himself many years ago and the two flat warts on his face disappeared by the sixth day. That said, going three days on soup alone is a real challenge, and it is not something to attempt casually.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Cindy): I have flat warts on my face and neck. How often should I drink the soybean sprout and tofu soup? Bro Niu: According to a traditional folk remedy I found, the concentrated approach is to eat nothing but soybean-sprout soup cooked in clear water for three consecutive days, adding ginger to keep it from being too cooling. I tried it myself years ago — I could only manage two days, but by the sixth day the flat warts on my face had vanished. I know it works, but three days of nothing else is quite demanding. The good news is I also lost three pounds!

• Q (昕): I have liver heat and stomach pain — I get pain when hungry and sometimes when full too. The doctor says liver heat is affecting my stomach. I have been taking TCM for over a month with little improvement. Can I use ji gu cao or ji shi teng? Bro Niu: For liver heat and stomach pain, you can try a soup of fresh dendrobium (1 liang of fresh, or 3 qian dried), fresh Chinese yam (4 liang), and monkey head mushroom (3 pieces) simmered with pork shank — it nourishes yin, clears liver heat and soothes the stomach. For clearing liver heat as a tea, use 2 liang of spatholobus stem (ji xue teng) with 5 qian of virgate wormwood (mian yin chen) and honey dates, twice a week.

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Published May 16, 2022 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.