[Seasonal Nourishing Soups Introduction] Keep Your Body Healthy with Seasonal Soups

Soup is an essential part of traditional Chinese culinary culture, offering nourishment and health benefits, such as strengthening the body and preventing illnesses. As people's physical conditions and wellness needs vary across different seasons, enjoying seasonally appropriate soups can help achieve specific health benefits. Generali Hong Kong introduces a variety of seasonal soups with simple recipes, enabling you to easily boost your health with these delicious options!

Soup Name: Glehnia Root, Polygonatum Root, and Conch Soup — Boost Immunity in Spring

Spring's unpredictable weather and dry winds often trigger respiratory issues. This soup is perfect for the seasonal transition, offering benefits like nourishing the lungs, replenishing qi, hydrating dryness, and tonifying the kidneys.

Cooking Time: about 1.5 hours

Ingredients (Serves 3-4): 

Glehnia Root: 20g

Polygonatum Root: 35g

Dried Mountain Yam: 25g

Dried Conch: 65g

Dried Tangerine Peel: 1 piece

Coconut Dates: 2

Carrot: 1

Lean Meat: 300g

Salt: To taste

Water: about 1.5L

Steps:

1. Rinse the dried conch and soak overnight until softened.

2. After soaking, blanch the conch and cut into small pieces. Wash and soak other ingredients like glehnia root, polygonatum root, and mountain yam for 30 minutes; cut the Solomon's Seal into smaller pieces. Soak the coconut dates for 10 minutes, pit them, and cut into small pieces. Wash and soak the dried tangerine peel until softened, then scrape the pith. Wash and peel the carrot, then cut into chunks.

3. Cut the lean meat into small chunks, blanch, and rinse.

4. Place all ingredients (except lean meat) into a pressure cooker. Add water, bring to pressure (second pressure mark), and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.

5. Release pressure, add the lean meat, bring back to pressure, and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt to taste before serving.

Tips:

• If short on time, substitute dried conch with frozen conch (soak about 2 hours) or conch slices (soak about 2-3 hours).
• Using a pressure cooker reduces cooking time and retains nutrients. If using a regular pot, add more water, bring to a boil, simmer on low for 1 hour, then add the lean meat and simmer for another hour.

Soup Name: Shiitake Mushroom, Winter Melon, and Pork Rib Soup — Cool Down in Summer

Summer's hot and humid weather often leads to internal dampness, causing bloating and spleen weakness. This soup is ideal for dispelling heat and dampness, strengthening the spleen, and boosting energy.

Cooking Time: about 45 minutes

Ingredients (Serves 4):

Pork Ribs: 300g

Winter Melon: 300g

Shiitake Mushrooms: 10 pieces

Ginger Slices: A few

Bonito Stock Cubes: 2

Salt: To taste

White Pepper: To taste

Rice Wine: To taste

Water: about 1.5L

Steps:

1. Peel and cut the winter melon into chunks.

2. Rinse pork ribs, blanch in boiling water to remove impurities, and set aside.

3. Clean and soak shiitake mushrooms, then cut into small pieces.

4. Add pork ribs, winter melon, mushrooms, ginger slices, bonito cubes, and water (enough to cover ribs) into a soup pot.

5. Place the pot into an electric cooker; add 2 cups of water to the outer pot.

6. Once the cooker finishes, season with salt, white pepper, and rice wine, and mix well.

7. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Soup Name: Chayote, Chestnut, and Carrot Soup — Nourish Spleen in Autumn

Autumn's dry weather can lead to digestive issues like constipation and intestinal dryness. This soup nourishes the spleen and kidneys, offering rich nutrition suitable for all ages.

Cooking Time: about 1.5 hours

Ingredients (Serves 3-4): 

Chayote: 2

Chestnuts: 10

Carrot: ¼

Corn: ½ cob

Sweet and Bitter Apricot Kernels: 10g

Candied Date: 1

Salt: To taste

Water: about 1.5L

Steps:

1. Wash and cut chayote, carrot, and corn into chunks.

2. Remove shells and skin from chestnuts.

3. Rinse apricot and candied date.

4. Add water into a soup pot, boil, and add chestnuts, carrot, and corn.

5. Add chayote, apricot, and candied date; simmer on low for 1 hour. Season with salt as needed.

Soup Name: Pepper Pork Tripe Soup — A Winter Favorite

Winter's cold weather can cause chills and poor circulation. This soup warms the body and boosts yang energy.

Cooking Time: about 1.5 hours

Ingredients (Serves 4): 

Pickled Mustard Greens: 1

Pork Tripe: 1

Pork Bones: 450g

Ginger: 2 slices

White Peppercorns: 1 tbsp

Sugar: To taste

Rice Wine: 1 tsp

Water: about 2.5L

Steps:

1. Soak mustard greens for 1 hour, then cut into chunks.

2. Sauté with rice wine and sugar.

3. Put pork tripe and bones into the soup pot, add cold water and ginger slices. After boiling, blanch for 3 minutes, rinse clean.

4. Toast white peppercorns in a pan, then crush.

5. Cut pork tripe into strips

6. Combine all ingredients in a pot with water. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, then simmer for 1.5 hours. Season as needed.

Tips:

• Pork tripe can be soaked in advance to make it easier to cook.
• Pickled mustard greens help remove the pork tripe's odor and enhance the soup's flavor.

Soup Name: Ginseng Chicken Soup — A Year-Round Classic

This soup nourishes qi, strengthens the spleen and lungs, and boosts immunity. It is ideal for those with fatigue, shortness of breath, or weak digestion.

Cooking Time: about 1.5 hours

Ingredients (Serves 4): 

Whole Chicken: 1

Ginseng Whiskers: To taste

Chuanxiong: Small amount

Licorice: Small amount

Angelica: Small amount

Goji Berries: Small amount

Red Dates: Small amount

Astragalus: Small amount

Cinnamon Twig: Small amount

Rice Wine: To taste

Water: about 2L

Steps:

1.Soak goji berries in rice wine for 30 minutes.

2.Clean chicken and remove innards.

3.Wash all herbs

4.Put the chicken and all herbs in a pot. Add water and rice wine.

5.Bring to boil, then simmer on low for 1 hour. Season to taste.

6.After the soup is done, drizzle it with the goji berry rice wine from earlier for added flavor.

Precautions:
Ginseng chicken soup is highly nourishing and offers benefits such as replenishing vital energy, nourishing yin, and strengthening the kidneys. However, it is not suitable for everyone. The following groups should avoid consuming ginseng chicken soup:

• People prone to diarrhea
• Individuals with impaired kidney function
• Those with high blood pressure
• Pregnant and breastfeeding women
• Infants and young children

Tips:

• You can choose silky chicken or free-range chicken for better flavor and texture.

Soup Name: Dendrobium, Lily Bulb, Snow Fungus, and Pork Shin Soup — Clears Heat, Promotes Hydration, Strengthens the Spleen, and Supports Digestion

This soup helps to clear heat, promote hydration, strengthen the spleen, support digestion, and nourish yin to relieve dryness. It is particularly suitable for those with yin deficiency, dry cough, weak spleen and stomach, or dry skin.

Cooking Time: about 2 hours

Ingredients (Serves 4): 

Dendrobium: 25g

Lily Bulb: 25g

Polygonatum root: 15g

Snow Fungus: 1-2 pieces

Pork Shin: 250g

Ginger: 3 slices

Candied Dates: 2

Water: about 2.5L

Steps:

1. Soak and clean all herbal ingredients.

2. Soak the snow fungus until softened, then cut it into small pieces for later use.

3. Blanch pork, then rinse.

4. Add all ingredients to a soup pot with water. Bring to a boil for 20 minutes, then simmer for 1.5 hours. Season as needed.