In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), eating the right food is key to balancing Qi, the vital energy or life force that powers your body functions. One way of achieving this is by including nutritious TCM soup recipes in your diet.
Of course, when one hears “TCM soup” or “Chinese herbal soup”, what often comes to mind is a bitter-tasting, medicinal-like brew, rather than a flavourful soothing broth.
Yet, TCM soups couldn’t be further from that mistaken notion as they are not only nourishing with many health benefits—ranging from energy boosting to aiding digestion—many are in fact very tasty.
In TCM, foods are broadly classified into three categories: Yin (cooling); Yang (warming); and neutral.
An individual’s Qi is balanced when the components of Yin and Yang are in equilibrium, which prevents health problems from arising.
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As a rule of thumb, one should take more cooling foods to reduce heatiness, while consuming warming foods will generate warmth in your body.
Examples of cooling foods are green leafy vegetables, orange, watermelon, tofu, crab and green tea, while warming foods include coconut flesh, chestnut, onion, leek, prawn and lamb.
If, say, your diet comprises mainly oily and fried foods, it will be good to add a hearty TCM Chinese soup into the mix every now and then.
In fact, you just need to have two TCM herbs — Chinese red dates and wolfberries (or goji berries) — perpetually in your pantry to make “instant” Chinese herbal soups with any kind of vegetables or meat.
Filled with Vitamin C, fibre and immune-boosting properties, Chinese red dates add sweetness and texture to soups, while sweet antioxidant-rich wolfberries add flavour not only to soups, but sauces, juices and teas as well.
With the above-mentioned herbs, here are two very easy-to-cook TCM soup recipes that you can try at home.
TCM Soup Recipe #1: Chinese Watercress with Pork Ribs Soup
This mildly sweet, peppery soup is packed with vitamins and antioxidants.
Watercress has cooling properties and aids in lubricating the lungs and detoxifying the kidneys. Pork, considered a neutral food (neither cool nor warm), is rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals that the body needs to function.
This soup can be enjoyed on its own or with rice.
Ingredients (Serves 2):
Prep time: 15-30 minutes
Cook time: 1.5 or 2 hours
Cook time: 1.5 or 2 hours
- 200-250 grams pork spare ribs
- 100-150 grams Chinese watercress (Xi Yang Cai 西洋菜)
- 5 Chinese red dates (Hong Zao 红枣 - replenish Qi, Vitamin C)
- 1 tablespoon wolfberries (Gou Qi 枸杞 - improve eyesight, boost kidney and liver function)
- 1 teaspoon almonds (optional)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 litre water
Method:
- Cut pork spare ribs into pieces, then blanch in boiling water.
- Wash watercress in cold water, then chop the leafy stalks into half.
- Boil one litre of water in a pot with sea salt, red dates, wolfberries and almonds (optional), before adding the watercress and blanched pork ribs.
- Simmer over low heat and cook for at least 1.5 to 2 hrs to get the best flavour.
- Season with white pepper and serve hot.
TCM Soup Recipe #2: Chinese Ginseng Herbal Chicken Soup
This rich and pungent soup is great for colds or when you need an energy booster.
Chicken is a protein-rich warming food that not only provides warmth, it also repairs muscles and bones. Ginseng, with its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, aids in fighting fatigue and boosting the immune system.
There are different types and grades of ginseng, with prices ranging from a few dollars to a few hundreds of dollars, depending on quality, weight and origin. For chicken soup, inexpensive Chinese or Korean ginseng (warming) are commonly used, although you can also use American or Canadian ginseng (cooling) which is lighter in taste.
For this recipe, we used a Chinese Ginseng Herbal Soup Pack ($7.50) that contains five TCM herbs. Ginseng soup packs, which may contain different accompanying herbs and priced accordingly, can be found at any TCM store or supermarket.
Ingredients (Serves 2):
Prep time: 15-30 minutes
Cook time: 1.5 or 2 hours
Cook time: 1.5 or 2 hours
- (60 grams - Five herbs from one Chinese Ginseng Herbal Soup Pack)
- Chinese ginseng (Ren Shen 人参)
- Chinese ginseng roots
- Solomon’s seal (Yu Zhu 玉竹 - anti-inflammatory, promotes healthy muscles)
- Chinese yam (Huai Shan 淮山 - nourishes the spleen, improves complexion)
- Wolfberries
- 300-400 grams chicken whole leg quarter (or preferred chicken portion)
- 5 Chinese red dates
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 litre water
Method:
- Boil all the herbs in one litre of water in a pot for an hour.
- Add the chicken meat along with a pinch of salt, ensuring the water covers the meat, and simmer over low heat for another hour. (Alternatively, you can put in the chicken right from the start.)
- Serve hot.
Note: If you are sensitive to certain foods, do consult a healthcare professional or TCM practitioner before taking any TCM herbs.
