Soup Name: Vegetarian Watercress Soup
Traditional Chinese Name: 西洋菜栗子湯 (xī yáng cài lì zi tāng)
Introduction:
This savory soup is sweet in taste and healthy to eat. It’s rich in vitamins and fiber and is meant to “cool” your body – especially in the summer months. Caution may need to be taken with chestnuts as it can potentially be allergenic, although it is not very common.
What Ingredients are required?
3 large dried dates
5-6 pieces of dried scallop (optional for non-vegetarians)
5-6 pieces of Chinese mushrooms
10 – 15 chestnuts
3 bunches of fresh watercress
3 large cubes of fresh tofu
2-3 litres of cold water
How do I prepare it?
- Soak the Chinese mushrooms in cold water for at least an hour
- Boil your soup water
- Add the dried dates, dried scallops and soaked mushrooms (you can keep the mushroom water)
- In a separate pot, boil the chestnuts and remove the peel (see chestnuts for preparation instructions)
- Add peeleed chestnuts to your soup
- Boil on high heat for an hour
- Add watercress and tofu
- Boil for another 30 minutes
- Serve
Any benefits?
- This soup is high in fibre, Vitamin C and is said to relieve heatiness
- It can help cool your body on a hot summer’s day
- It is not overly cool as the chestnuts balance the soup
Any precautions?
- Chestnuts may pose allergies to some children
- Watercress is a “cool” food and women who are less than 3 months pregnant or menstruating should consume with caution
This isn’t vegetarian, due to the dried scallops. The name is misleading.
P, thanks for the note – I’ve modified accordingly. Appreciate the comment. Lisa