Spring Equinox · Breakfast · Damp-Heat
Tomato, tofu and fish rice vermicelli soup
Fresh tomatoes make a sweet-sour broth for silky tofu and grass carp slices: cooling and appetising.
- 25 min
- Serves 2
- Simmer
- Easy
CoolingClears damp-heatAids digestion
Why it suits you: Damp-heat types get a bitter mouth, oily skin and spots as the equinox turns humid and warm. Sweet, cool tomato and tofu clear heat, while warm grass carp keeps the soup from being cold, so it clears damp-heat without upsetting the stomach.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 15 min- 1Toss the fish with a little salt and the cornflour. Boil the vermicelli for 3 minutes and divide between bowls.
- 2Fry the tomatoes and ginger in a little oil until juicy, add the water, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
- 3Add the tofu for 2 minutes, then the fish for 1 minute until cooked. Season, pour over the vermicelli and top with coriander.
Chef's tips
- Fry the tomatoes until they release their juice before adding water, for a redder, tastier soup.
The TCM view
Tomato is sweet, sour and slightly cold, clearing heat, generating fluids and aiding digestion. Tofu is sweet and cool and clears heat; grass carp is sweet and warm and warms the stomach. Cool and warm together clear heat gently.
