Awakening of Insects · Dinner · Yin Deficiency
Snow fungus & lily bulb duck soup with steamed egg
A clear, gently sweet duck soup with snow fungus and lily bulb, plus silky steamed egg and rice.
- 2 hr
- Serves 3
- Simmer
- Easy
CoolingNourishes yin & moistensCalms the mind
Why it suits you: Yin Deficiency brings a dry mouth, warm palms and restless sleep, and the rising yang of Awakening of Insects stirs up deficient heat. Snow fungus, lily bulb and duck all nourish yin, and a silky steamed egg makes it a gentle dinner that helps you sleep.
Method
Prep 20 min · Cook 100 min- 1Trim the skin and fat off the duck, start it in cold water, boil for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse. Soak the snow fungus for 20 minutes, cut off the hard base and tear into small florets.
- 2Soak the lily bulb for 10 minutes. Bring 2 litres of water to the boil, add the duck, ginger, tangerine peel and candied date, boil hard for 10 minutes, then simmer gently for 1 hour.
- 3Add the snow fungus and lily bulb and simmer for another 20 minutes. Salt just before serving.
- 4Meanwhile, beat the eggs with 1.5 times their volume of warm water and a pinch of salt, strain into a deep plate, cover and steam over medium-low heat for 10–12 minutes.
- 5Lift out the duck to eat with a little soy sauce, alongside the soup, steamed egg and rice.
Cautions
- Cook soaked snow fungus the same day — never leave it soaking overnight, and throw it away if it smells off or turns slimy.
Chef's tips
- Short on time? Use an electric double-boiler or slow cooker on a timer and the soup is ready when you get home.
- Covering the plate and steaming over medium-low heat keeps the egg smooth, without bubbles.
The TCM view
Snow fungus is sweet and neutral and moistens the lungs; lily bulb is sweet and slightly cold, nourishing yin and calming the mind; duck is sweet, salty and cool and clears deficient heat; egg is sweet and neutral and moistens dryness. A little ginger and tangerine peel cut the richness. The meal is sweet, cool and moistening, helping to anchor floating yang.
