I. Creamy White Crucian Carp and Radish Soup
Crucian carp is an excellent springtime tonic food, characterized by its comprehensive nutrition. It is high in sugar, low in fat, and rich in protein, various vitamins, trace elements, and essential amino acids.Regular consumption not only promotes physical fitness but also helps lower blood pressure and blood lipids, contributing to longevity. For postpartum women, crucian carp provides nutritional benefits and effectively promotes lactation.
Ingredients: 1 live crucian carp, half a white radish, salt, pepper, ginger, cilantro, vegetable oil (all to taste).
Method:
1. Have the fishmonger clean the crucian carp. Rinse it thoroughly and pat dry. Slice the ginger.
3. Gently slide the carp into the wok. Pan-fry over medium heat until golden brown on one side, then flip and fry the other side until golden.
4. Pour in sufficient cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
5. Peel and shred the white radish. Add the radish shreds and simmer for another 3-4 minutes.
6. Season with salt and white pepper powder. Garnish with cilantro before serving.
II. Jade Pig Tripe Soup
Spring has arrived once more. Though it's a season of renewal, it also brings the dreaded "spring fatigue." To maintain alertness and vitality during the upcoming workweek, this dampness-expelling, swelling-reducing Jade Pig Tripe Soup is perfect for combating drowsiness.
Ingredients: 60g white茅根 (white茅根), 60g corn silk, 10 red dates, 500g pork tripe
Method:
1. Rinse pork tripe, cut into chunks, rub with salt and cornstarch, then rinse thoroughly.
2. Boil in hot water for 15 minutes, remove and rinse under cold water.
3. Pit the red dates, then wash them along with the white茅根 and corn silk. Soak briefly in water before placing all ingredients into an earthenware pot with about 8 bowls of water.
4. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer on low for 2 hours. Add salt to taste and a small amount of cooking oil.
III. White Broad Bean and Pork Spine Soup
Springtime health maintenance prioritizes strengthening the spleen and stomach—favoring sweet over sour flavors. Why? Because spring sees heightened liver energy; sour foods enter the liver, while sweet enter the spleen. White broad beans nourish the spleen, warm the stomach, dispel dampness, replenish deficiencies, and stop diarrhea—serving as both a nourishing delicacy and potent medicine.
Ingredients: 500g pork dragon bones, 50g white broad beans, 8 red dates, 10 lotus seeds, scallions, ginger, salt.
Method:
1. Soak white broad beans and lotus seeds in water for 30 minutes. Rinse red dates.
2. Wash pork bones. Place bones in cold water, bring to a boil, then remove and rinse off scum.
3. Place the blanched pork bones in a clay pot. Add sufficient water, then add the soaked white kidney beans, lotus seeds, and red dates.
4. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for about 2 hours. A pot of rich, milky-white soup is ready. Season with salt before serving.
IV. Broad Bean Meatball Soup
Spring brings fresh broad beans perfect for a deliciously fragrant and tender meatball soup. The beans become meltingly soft and bloom open during cooking, releasing an especially rich aroma. Though simple and homey, its flavor is truly delightful.
Ingredients: 100g fava beans (shelled), 200g ground pork, 1 small handful mung bean vermicelli, 2 scallions, 1 slice ginger, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tsp salt, pinch of pepper.
Method:
1. Rinse fresh fava beans thoroughly.
2. Place pork mince in a bowl. Add chopped scallions, minced ginger, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cornstarch. Mix vigorously in one direction until sticky and cohesive.
3. Soak dried glass noodles in cold water until softened.
4. Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add broad bean kernels and boil for 5 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Wash hands thoroughly. Take a portion of the meat mixture in your left hand, squeeze firmly through the thumb and index finger to form a small meatball, then drop it into the pot using a spoon.
6. Repeat this method until all the meat mixture is used to form meatballs.
7. Increase heat to high and cook until meatballs are nearly done. Add soaked glass noodles and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Season with remaining salt and pepper before serving.They benefit the liver and kidneys, replenish essence, stop bleeding, and dissolve phlegm. They are effective for treating dizziness, tinnitus, forgetfulness, insomnia, soreness in the lower back and knees, impotence, premature ejaculation, chronic cough, and weak wheezing.
Method:
1. Clean the whole chicken thoroughly and trim off the tail.
2. Place the chicken in a soup pot with cold water covering it by 2-3 cm.
3. Add cooking wine and bring to a boil over high heat.
4. Once boiling, skim off all scum.
5. Add ginger slices, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30-50 minutes depending on stove strength.
6. Add cordyceps flowers.
7. Add several red dates, cover, and continue simmering on low heat for 30 minutes.
8. Season with salt to taste before serving.