Tiger Milk Mushroom, Snow Fungus & Goji Soup

Why people make this soup

Nourilo once spotted whole tiger milk mushrooms — about the size of a ping-pong ball — at a dried-goods and herb shop. This prized fungus, grown mainly across Southeast Asia and nicknamed “Southeast Asian fu ling,” is rich in polysaccharides and is traditionally valued to support the body’s defenses and moisten the lungs. This soup pairs it with snow fungus and goji berries; it is traditionally taken by people feeling weak and depleted, including during radiotherapy or chemotherapy.

Method

1. Soak and rinse all the ingredients; trim the hard base off the snow fungus.
2. Put everything in a pot with about 2.4 L of water.
3. Simmer about 2 hours, down to roughly 1.2 L. Serve.

Nourilo’s Tips

This soup is also traditionally enjoyed by those with stomach, liver, asthma or bronchial concerns. Red reishi (chi ling zhi) can stand in for tiger milk mushroom — it’s more bitter but well regarded.