Codonopsis and Chinese yam pork stomach soup with lettuce
Well-cleaned pork stomach simmered with codonopsis, Chinese yam and red dates into a milky, spleen-strengthening soup, with a plate of garlicky stir-fried lettuce — simple and reassuring.
- 3 hr
- Serves 3
- Simmer
- Medium
Why it suits you: Sensitive types react easily, sneezing or getting itchy skin when the seasons turn, and Bailu's big swing between day and night often sets them off. Codonopsis and Chinese yam strengthen the spleen and lungs, and pork stomach builds up the digestion; in Chinese medicine a strong spleen supports the lungs and the body's defences. With no seafood or nuts, a bowl of hot soup is warming and reassuring.
Method
Prep 30 min · Cook 150 min- 1Turn the pork stomach inside out, trim off excess fat, then rub well with salt and cornflour and rinse. Repeat once more until it no longer feels slimy.
- 2Put the stomach in a pan of cold water with 2 slices of ginger, bring to the boil and blanch for 10 minutes. Scrape off the white membrane and cut into thick strips; crush the peppercorns.
- 3Bring the water to the boil and add the stomach, codonopsis, yam, red dates, peppercorns and the remaining ginger. Boil hard for 20 minutes, then simmer over a low heat for 2 hours and season with salt.
- 4Heat the oil, fry the chopped garlic until fragrant, then stir-fry the lettuce over a high heat until just wilted. Season with a pinch of salt and serve with the soup.
Cautions
- This recipe avoids seafood and nuts; pork stomach is fairly high in cholesterol, so once or twice a week is plenty, and skip it when you have a cold or fever.
Chef's tips
- Ask the butcher to turn and clean the stomach for you; rubbing it twice with salt and cornflour, then blanching and scraping off the membrane, removes any odour.
The TCM view
Codonopsis is sweet and neutral, entering the spleen and lungs, tonifying the middle and boosting qi. Chinese yam is sweet and neutral, supporting the spleen, stomach and lungs; pork stomach is sweet and warm, strengthening the spleen and stomach — the Bencao Jingshu calls it 'a key tonic for the spleen and stomach'. Red dates nourish blood and white pepper warms the stomach. Together they build the spleen to protect the lungs.
