Longan Meat in Turtle Soup

by | Mar 13, 2010 | Confinement Soups, Fall Soups, Postpartum Soups, Winter Soups | 5 comments

Soup Name: Longan Meat in Turtle Soup

Traditional Chinese Name: 龍眼水魚湯 (lóng yǎn shuǐ yú tāng)

Introduction:
A warm and healing soup, it’s often recommended for cold winter days and/or pregnancy and confinement.  The turtle meat is said to be a healing meat (similar to chicken) and can be made with a variety of Chinese herbs.

What Ingredients are required?

1 whole fresh soft shell turtle
15 dried longans
1 foot fresh Chinese yam
2 slices of ginger
5 dried red dates
1 fresh lily bulb (or dried)

How do I prepare it?

  1. Wash turtle meat and shell
  2. In a pan, fry meat and shell with ginger on high heat until cooked
  3. Boil your soup water
  4. Soak and wash dried longans, red dates and lily bulb
  5. Wash and chop Chinese yam (be sure to wear gloves as raw Chinese yam will make your hands itchy)
  6. When water boils, add all the ingredients together
  7. Boil on high for 30 minutes and then simmer on medium heat for another 3 hours.
  8. Serve and enjoy!

Any benefits?

  • Healing soup ideal for confinement and early pregnancy (or post surgical recovery)
  • Good for urinary infections and bladder
  • Helps with asthma and breathing complications (such as shortage of breath)
  • The shell is an excellent source of collagen

Any precautions?

  • Thoroughly clean and wash turtle, including shell
  • Soup might be too heaty for some people