Wolfberry Leaf and Goji Berry Pork Soup

Why people make this soup

If your mouth has a sour or acidic taste without having eaten anything acidic, traditional Chinese medicine would point to the liver meridian as a possible source. This pattern is often accompanied by a sensation of rising stomach qi — an acidic taste drifting up from the stomach toward the throat — along with bloating, mild dizziness, mood changes, easy irritability, and a tendency to belch. The liver is considered the organ most affected by stress and overwork in TCM theory.

This soup uses the fresh leaves of the wolfberry plant, which in Chinese food therapy are regarded as being even more potent than the berry for clearing liver toxins. Research cited by Nourilo suggests that wolfberry leaves may have liver-protective capacity many times greater than the dried goji berry. The leaves are mild-tasting, slightly sweet, and produce a clean, light soup that is pleasant to drink even for those who are not feeling unwell.

Method

1. Strip the wolfberry leaves from their stems. Keep the stems — they will be used to flavour the broth first.
2. Rinse the lean pork and cut into thin slices.
3. In a pot, bring enough water to cover the pork and wolfberry stems. Add the pork slices and the stripped stems together. Simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Remove and discard the stems from the pot.
5. Add the goji berries to the pot and simmer for a few minutes.
6. Add the wolfberry leaves, bring back to a simmer, and cook for a further 15 minutes.
7. Season lightly with salt if desired. Serve warm.

Nourilo’s Tips

Fresh wolfberry leaves are available at Chinese or Asian grocers and herbal medicine shops — look for bright, deep-green young leaves. The stems are not eaten but are worth simmering first: they extract the grassy, herbal essence of the plant into the broth before you remove them. This is a particularly good everyday soup for anyone who spends a lot of time looking at screens — the combination of wolfberry leaves and goji berries is a classic pairing for eye fatigue in Cantonese food therapy. As an alternative to pork, you can use grass carp (grass carp fillet) for a lighter, slightly different flavour.