Luo Han Guo in Watercress Soup

Soup Name: Luo Han Guo in Watercress Soup

Traditional Chinese Name: 羅漢果西洋菜湯 (luóhàn guǒ xī yáng cài tāng)

Introduction:
This soup is excellent for assisting in coughs and removing phelgm.  It also aids in providing moisture (with the chestnuts) to the body and lungs for those dry autumn and winter months.  It is considered a pretty sweet soup and ideal for all ages.

What Ingredients are required?

1 pound of fresh pork shank
1/2 dried luo han guo
1 tablespoon of  apricot kernals
15 whole raw chestnuts
2-3 bunches of fresh watercress
1 large piece of dried tangerine peel

2-3 L of water
1 teaspoon of salt (to marinate the pork)


How do I prepare it?

  • Pre-marinate the pork overnight with the salt (although this step is not necessary)
  • Boil your soup water
  • Blanch pork shank in a separate pot of boiling water
  • In another separate pot, boil chestnuts for 2-3 minutes.  Remove from water and peel while still hot (removing the outer and inner skin)
  • Half luo han guo and rinse in warm water
  • Wash and soak apricot kernals and tangerine peel in warm water
  • When the water boils, add all the ingredients together except the watercress (this should be added last because it will stay relatively crunchy before consumption)
  • Boil on high for thirty minutes and reduce to a simmer for another 1.5 hours (or use a thermal pot)
  • When almost ready to drink, re-boil and add in watercress.  Boil on high for 10 minutes (or until desired softness of watercress)
  • Serve and enjoy!

Any benefits?

  • An excellent soup to assist with coughs and loosening of phlegm
  • Ideal for dry autumn consumption as it helps moisten the lungs and body
  • Low in fat
  • Naturally sweet

Any precautions?

  • The luo han guo produces a very sweet and distinct taste that is subjective to the drinker
  • I would suggest trying half of a fruit on your first attempt and see if you like it, definitely do not add more than 1 fruit to a soup
  • The watercress, while considered a cooling vegetable, can be consumed in moderation if in early pregnancy (use less as a precaution)
Luo Han Guo

Luo Han Guo

Luo Han Guo

Ingredient Name:

Luo Han Guo, Siraitia Grosvernorii, Arhat’s fruit, Monk’s fruit

Traditional Chinese Name:

羅漢果 (luóhàn guǒ)

 This ingredient is slightly cooling and sweet.

 

This fruit grows on a vine plant common to southern China and northern Thailand and is often used dried in soups and teas.  There are normally 2 versions of this dried fruit you can find in the supermarkets, a very dark brown version (more dry) and a golden version (less dry and less pungent).

This dried herbal ingredient is considered cooling and is sweet to taste.  It’s actually a great sweetener to teas without needing to add any sugar.  In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this herb is great for eliminating coughs, nourishing and moisturizing the lungs, and replenishing yin.  It can help cool both the body and the lungs and targets the lungs and large intestines.

I’ve used this both in soups and teas.  It creates a dark color to the soup and has a particularly sweet taste to it.  I’d recommend trying a quarter first (I used 4 cups of water for teas and 3L of water for soup).  You would want the soups to be more dilute because the soup is more savory than sweet.  Try it!

How do I prepare it?

    For the dried versions, I will rinse under warm water first and pat dry.  Then using the flat side of a knife, smash it.  Literally!  It will break into shreds as the outer shell is very hard and reveal a shriveled core with seeds.  Some use only the shell, but I’ll use both the core and shell.
    For soups, I’ll only use a quarter, but some recipes do call for half if you’d like.  It’s really a preferred taste on how sweet you’d like it.
    For teas, I will also use only a quarter.

Where can I buy it?

      • You can purchase these from most Asian supermarkets prepackaged
      • You can also purchase this in bulk from specialty stores (online herbal shops)
      • The one thing I did notice is that the Chinese prepared ones are different from Western prepared red dates.  So just check to be sure they look like the above photos.  

What is the cost?

      • In Canada, I’ve bought them for 4 for $8 CAD, so around $2 per golden fruit

      • The dark brown ones cost a little less
      • In Hong Kong, I’ve seen them for $5 HKD per monk fruit

Any benefits?

      • A cooling herb designed to cool the body and lungs
      • It targets the lungs and help nourish, moisten, and replenish lung yin
      • It’s designed for yin deficiency primarily (or also dry heat, which is excess yang) and also replenishes Qi and Blood
      • This ingredient is already sweet, so you don’t need much sugar if you’re making a tea
      • It’s packed full of antioxidants and helps detoxify the body
      • Great for addressing dry coughs and sore throats!

Any precautions?

      • It’s a pretty pungent fruit, so taste test how much you’ll need (add less first)

      • It’s also a cooling herb, so consume if you have more heaty conditions

Looking to build your basic Chinese Soup Pantry?

 

 

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