Winter melon, kelp and tofu rice noodle soup
Winter melon, kelp and tofu in clear soup with rice noodles — cooling, damp-clearing, never greasy. Ready in 25 minutes at home.
- 25 min
- Serves 2
- Quick soup
- Easy
Why it suits you: Damp-Heat shows up as a bitter taste in the mouth and breakouts, and Qingming's 'returning south' weather is both damp and muggy. Winter melon and kelp clear heat and drain water, and tofu replaces fatty meat — a clear noodle soup that feels fresh and light.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 15 min- 1Rinse the kelp and cut into strips (soak dried kelp for 20 minutes first). Peel and deseed the winter melon and cut into thick slices; cube the tofu.
- 2Bring the water and ginger to the boil, add the winter melon and kelp and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes until the melon turns translucent.
- 3Add the tofu, simmer for 3 more minutes and season with salt.
- 4Cook the rice noodles in another pan of boiling water as the packet directs, drain into bowls, ladle over the soup and top with coriander.
Cautions
- Kelp is high in iodine, so go easy if you have a thyroid condition. If your digestion runs cold and loose, add two more slices of ginger.
Chef's tips
- Don't throw away the melon peel: rinse it, tie it in a soup bag and simmer it with the soup to drain more damp, then lift it out before serving.
The TCM view
Winter melon is sweet, bland and cool and drains water; kelp is salty and cold, clears heat, resolves phlegm and drains water; tofu is sweet and cool, clears heat, moistens and gently builds qi; a little ginger protects the stomach. Sweet, bland and cooling, it clears heat and damp without draining your strength — just what Qingming calls for.
