Spearmint, Ginger and Black Bean Egg Soup

Why people make this soup

Spearmint — known in Cantonese herbal shops as xiang hua cai or yu xiang cao — is a different plant from the common mint used in Western cooking, though they are related. Its pungent, slightly cooling nature was traditionally used to dispel wind-heat and reduce swelling, yet when combined with warming ginger and tonic black soybeans, the whole formula shifts toward warming and nourishing. This is a soup for people who tend to feel cold easily, have a sluggish digestion, or are slightly anemic — especially those who cannot tolerate the richer warming tonics because even gentle supplements make them feel flushed or off. The combination gently warms without overcorrecting.

Method

1. Wash the spearmint leaves and remove the stalks; set aside.
2. Beat the eggs; set aside.
3. In a dry wok (no oil), toast the black soybeans over medium heat until the skins crack — this activates and warms them, making them more effective.
4. Place the toasted black soybeans and ginger slices in a pot with 1.8 L of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes until reduced to 900 ml.
5. Add the spearmint leaves and beaten egg to the simmering soup. Stir gently and cook for 5 minutes. Do not boil vigorously.
6. Add rice wine if using. Serve immediately.

Nourilo’s Tips

• Spearmint contains volatile oils just like regular mint — add it at the very end of cooking and do not boil for long, otherwise these oils will dissipate and the warming fragrance will be lost.
• A splash of rice wine (about 2 tablespoons) added at the end reinforces the blood-moving and cold-dispelling effect.
• If cooking for children, replace the egg with lean pork — the soup will still be gentle and nourishing.
• The black soybeans used here are the green-kernel variety (qing ren hei dou), not ordinary black soybeans. The difference is visible when you cut one open — the interior is green rather than yellow or pale. This variety is believed to have a stronger tonic effect.
• Spearmint / xiang hua cai is available at Chinese or Asian grocers, or online; it may also be sold under the name “fish herb” (yu xiang cao).