Dried scallop, luffa and tofu soup with wheat vermicelli
Shredded dried scallop simmered into a broth with luffa and silken tofu, poured over fine wheat vermicelli — clear, savoury and soothing on hot, parched mornings.
- 25 min
- Serves 2
- Simmer
- Easy
Why it suits you: Yin-deficient people are short of fluids, prone to a dry mouth, hot palms and restless sleep, and Major Heat's heavy sweating drains fluids further, so you wake up parched. Dried scallop nourishes yin and the kidneys, luffa clears heat and generates fluids, and tofu clears heat and moistens dryness. A clear, light broth with soft vermicelli is easy to digest and leaves you refreshed.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 15 min- 1Soak the dried scallops in water overnight until soft, shred them and keep the soaking water.
- 2Peel the tough skin off the luffa and cut into chunks; dice the tofu.
- 3Bring the water, scallop soaking water and ginger to the boil, add the scallop and simmer for 10 minutes, then add the luffa and tofu and cook for 3 minutes.
- 4Cook the vermicelli in a separate pan of boiling water for 1 minute, drain into bowls and ladle over the soup. Season with salt and a few drops of sesame oil.
Cautions
- Luffa and tofu are cool, so eat less if your digestion is weak or you get loose stools; go easy on tofu with gout.
Chef's tips
- Mee sua is already salty, so taste before seasoning; small Japanese scallops or broken scallop pieces are cheaper and just as tasty.
The TCM view
Dried scallop is sweet, salty and neutral, nourishing yin, tonifying the kidneys and regulating the middle. Luffa is sweet and cool, clearing heat, resolving phlegm, cooling the blood and generating fluids; tofu is sweet and cool, boosting qi, generating fluids, moistening dryness and clearing heat. Cool, moistening and gently tonifying, it clears heat without harming yin — ideal for yin-deficient people in summer.
