Watercress, Luo Han Guo and Dried Duck-Gizzard Soup

Why people make this soup

Eating out often, with lots of spicy and oily food, easily builds up internal heat — bad breath, a sore throat, swollen gums, coughing, even nosebleeds. When that happens, something cooling helps, especially for clearing lung and stomach heat, and watercress soup is just the thing. Watercress is cooling and traditionally said to help stop bleeding, so it suits nosebleeds from lung-stomach heat. This watercress, monk fruit and dried duck-gizzard soup is one Nourilo reaches for to clear heat, cool the blood and soothe the throat.

Method

1. Wash the watercress; peel and chunk the carrot.
2. Wash the almonds and dried duck gizzards; slice the gizzards and blanch them with the lean pork.
3. Put everything except the watercress into a pot with 2.4 L of water and bring to a rolling boil.
4. Add the watercress; once it returns to a boil, lower to medium-low heat and cook about 1.5 hours, reducing to 1.2–1.5 L.
5. Serve the soup together with the ingredients.

Nourilo’s Tips

Whenever you make a vegetable soup, add the greens only after the water is at a rolling boil — the soup stays clear and fragrant without a bitter edge. This soup is clear and sweet, suits young and old, and is soothing for a dry throat and a dry-heat cough.