Soup Name: Sweet Potato, Corn and Chinese Yam in Fish Soup
Traditional Chinese Name: 蕃薯玉米魚湯 (gān shǔ yù mǐ yú tāng)
Introduction:
This simple and slightly sweet soup is really ideal for kids and children. I originally made this as a base for a lunch (consisting of fish balls and macaroni) and the kids loved it! Soups are so diverse in that you can use it as a base for stews, congee, noodles and other Chinese dishes. Keeping it simple will allow you to diversify your “final” dish and get really creative!
This quick boil soup is an excellent pre-dinner appetizer. With its slight sour tang and refreshing clarity, it is relatively easy to make and very healthy for the whole family. Depending on the type, brand and preservation process of the mustard greens, your soup color can range from pale yellow to a bright yellow (as picture above). With a variety of textures in the soup, it serves as a great supplement to dinner and is an excellent source of protein. This is considered a great summer soup.
What’s involved?
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 45 mins
Serves: 4 bowls
Ingredients
5-6 large slices of grass carp fish, preferably from the tail or backside
Soak the preserved mustard greens in warm water for 10 minutes
Wash and rinse your fish in running water, slice into large pieces (so that they don’t disintegrate as easily in the soup)
Pat dry with a paper towel and salt lightly
In a frying pan, heat oil until hot and fry ginger and fish slices until golden brown
Set aside the fish when finished (it doesn’t have to be completed cooked, but at least with lightly golden surfaces)
Boil your soup water
Rinse preserved mustard greens in running water and slice into edible pieces
Rinse tofu and cut into large pieces
Slice the century eggs in half
When the soup water boils, add ginger, fish, preserved mustard greens, and tofu together
Boil on high for 30 minutes
Any benefits?
Naturally salted because of the mustard greens, so no salt needed!
High source of protein and low in fat
Excellent source of vitamins B1, B2, B6, C, and E, folic acid, calcium, carotenes, manganese, copper, potassium, iron and fiber
Great for your bones and plenty of anti-oxidant
Any precautions?
If you’re concerned about the level of saltiness of the preserved mustard greens, you can soak them longer (for at least an hour)
Be sure to buy preserved mustard greens from a reputable source and be sure to check the expiry date
Be sure to use stiff tofu as this is the only type that will sustain its shape and form when put in boiling water. Soft tofu will break apart, while still tastes OK, the soup doesn’t look as clean
Remove all the bones of the fish as I am not boiling with a fish bag (or take caution when serving children)
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Introduction:
This quick boil soup is a great soup base (although just as great by itself) in the Chinese repertoire of soups. While some people don’t like Chinese parsley at all (like me), the strong taste of the herb is heavily muted when boiled in this fashion. As a result, the soup is slightly sweet and has a refreshingly mild taste to it. You can use a variety of meats and other vegetables as desired.
