Grain Rain · Breakfast · Yin Deficiency
Clam and tofu soup with rice noodles
Fresh clams give a sweet, clean broth; add silken tofu and rice noodles for a moistening breakfast that never feels heavy.
- 25 min
- Serves 2
- Simmer
- Easy
CoolingNourishes yin, clears heatMoistens drynessLight and nourishing
Why it suits you: Yin-deficient people often have a dry mouth and hot palms and soles, and as Grain Rain turns warm and humid, spring warmth easily drains yin. Clams nourish yin and clear heat, tofu moistens, and a quick broth stays light, so it nourishes without adding damp.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 10 min- 1The night before, soak the clams in lightly salted water in the fridge so they spit out their sand. In the morning scrub and rinse them.
- 2Soak the rice noodles in boiling water for 3 minutes until soft, then drain into bowls.
- 3Bring the water to the boil with the ginger, add the clams and, as soon as they open, add the tofu and simmer for 2 minutes.
- 4Season with salt and a few drops of sesame oil, pour the clams, tofu and broth over the noodles and scatter with spring onion.
Cautions
- Clams are shellfish, so skip this if you react to seafood, and buy fresh clams with tightly closed shells.
Chef's tips
- Add the tofu and take the pan off the heat as soon as the clams open, or they shrink and toughen.
The TCM view
Clams are sweet, salty and cold, nourishing yin, clearing heat and draining damp. Tofu is sweet and cool, clearing heat, moistening and generating fluids. Rice noodles are sweet, neutral and easy to digest, and a little ginger balances the coolness. A light, clearing tonic for yin deficiency when damp and heat alternate.
