Autumn Equinox · Dinner · Yin Deficiency
Asian pear, glehnia & Solomon's seal pork soup
A clear, gently sweet slow soup for autumn dryness, with rice and blanched choy sum.
- 1 hr 45 min
- Serves 3
- Simmer
- Easy
CoolingNourishes yin & lungsEases thirst
Why it suits you: Yin Deficiency already brings a dry mouth and warm palms, and Autumn Equinox is the peak of autumn dryness. Pear, glehnia and Solomon's seal moisten the lungs and stomach and calm deficient heat without being cold — good before bed.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 90 min- 1Cut the pork into chunks, start it in cold water, boil for 3 minutes, then drain and rinse.
- 2Soak the glehnia and Solomon's seal for 10 minutes. Core the pears and cut into large pieces — keep the skin on.
- 3Put everything except the choy sum into 2 litres of boiling water, boil hard for 10 minutes, then simmer gently for 1 hour 15 minutes. Salt just before serving.
- 4While the soup simmers, blanch the choy sum for 1–2 minutes and serve with rice and the soup.
Cautions
- Go easy if your digestion runs cold, you have loose stools, or a cough with thin white phlegm.
Chef's tips
- Prepare the soup ingredients the night before; in the morning put them in a slow cooker on low for 4 hours and the soup is ready after work.
The TCM view
Asian pear is sweet and cool and moistens the lungs; glehnia and Solomon's seal are sweet and slightly cold and nourish yin; pork shank is sweet, salty and neutral; figs are sweet and neutral and keep you regular. Together they are moistening and gently cooling — right for dryness that has worn down yin.
