Start of Winter · Dinner · Qi Deficiency
Sweetcorn and beef thick soup with blanched choy sum
Fresh corn blended into a silky thick soup with tender minced beef and egg ribbons — warming and easy to digest.
- 35 min
- Serves 3
- Boil
- Easy
WarmingBuilds qiStrengthens digestion
Why it suits you: Qi Deficiency means tiring easily and a weak appetite, and as Start of Winter turns cooler, digestion needs protecting. This silky corn and beef soup is easy to digest, the beef builds qi and blood, and it needs hardly any chewing.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 20 min- 1Mix the beef with the soy sauce, 1 tsp of the cornflour and 1 tbsp water, and leave for 10 minutes.
- 2Cut the kernels off the corn and blend half of them with 200 ml of the water to a purée.
- 3Bring the rest of the water to the boil with the ginger, add the kernels and purée and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring now and then so it does not catch.
- 4Loosen the beef with 2 tbsp cold water, stir it into the soup and cook for 1–2 minutes until it changes colour; skim off any foam.
- 5Mix the remaining cornflour with 3 tbsp water and stir it in to thicken. Turn off the heat, drizzle in the egg and stir gently into ribbons; season with salt and pepper.
- 6Blanch the choy sum in boiling water for 1–2 minutes and serve with rice and the hot soup.
Chef's tips
- Short of time? Swap half the fresh corn for a tin of creamed corn, but it is already salted, so add less salt.
- Loosening the mince in cold water first stops it clumping in the soup.
The TCM view
Beef is sweet and warm and strengthens digestion, qi, blood and sinews; corn is sweet and neutral and settles the stomach; egg is sweet and neutral and nourishes blood and yin; a little ginger and white pepper warm the stomach. Mild and slightly warming, it builds qi without heaviness — suited to weak digestion.
