Dried dragon fruit flower and honey date soup with pork bones
Dried dragon fruit flowers simmered for two hours with pork bones, carrot and honey dates into a golden, gently sweet broth that soothes the lungs — easy for the whole family.
- 2 hr 50 min
- Serves 4
- Simmer
- Easy
Why it suits you: Special, allergy-prone constitutions react to changing weather with runny noses and itchy skin, and as Chushu's heat fades and dryness begins, the lungs are easily unsettled. Dried dragon fruit flowers clear heat and moisten the lungs, honey dates soothe coughs and carrot strengthens the spleen. Simple, gentle and free of shellfish and nuts, it's a soup to drink with confidence.
Method
Prep 30 min · Cook 140 min- 1Soak the dried flowers in water for 30 minutes until soft, rinse off any grit, trim the tough stems and cut into lengths. Soak the tangerine peel and scrape off the pith; peel the carrot and cut into chunks.
- 2Put the pork bones in a pan of cold water, bring to the boil, blanch for 5 minutes, then rinse.
- 3Bring the water to the boil, add everything, boil hard for 15 minutes, then simmer gently for 2 hours.
- 4Season with a little salt before serving; the softened flowers are lovely dipped in a drop of soy sauce.
Cautions
- The flowers are slightly cooling, so add an extra slice of ginger if your digestion is weak or you get loose stools; honey dates are sugary, so one is enough if you're watching your blood sugar.
Chef's tips
- Grit hides in the folds of the flowers, so open each one out and rinse after soaking; choose golden-brown, intact flowers with no musty smell.
The TCM view
Dried dragon fruit flowers are sweet and slightly cold, entering the lungs, clearing heat, moistening the lungs, resolving phlegm and easing coughs. Pork bones are sweet, salty and neutral, nourishing yin and moistening dryness; carrot strengthens the spleen and nourishes the liver; honey dates moisten the lungs; tangerine peel regulates qi and tempers the flowers' coolness. Together they protect the lungs' defences.
