Frost's Descent · Breakfast · Damp-Heat
Gai lan & fish slice soup rice noodles
Silky grass carp slices and crisp, sweet gai lan in a clear, light broth over rice noodles — a clean, fresh breakfast.
- 25 min
- Serves 2
- Quick soup
- Easy
NeutralClears heat & dampSettles digestion
Why it suits you: Damp-Heat calls for light, non-greasy food. Even in dry Frost's Descent, damp-heat types still get spots and a bitter taste in the mouth. Gai lan clears heat and fish is easy to digest — a low-oil soup that is fresh, not heating.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 10 min- 1Pat the fish dry with kitchen paper and toss with the soy sauce and cornflour. Leave for 5 minutes.
- 2Cut the gai lan into lengths, peeling any tough skin off thick stems. Soak the rice noodles in boiling water or blanch them for 1 minute, rinse and divide between bowls.
- 3Bring the water to the boil with the ginger and salt. Add the gai lan stems for 2 minutes, then the leaves.
- 4Turn the heat down, add the fish and simmer for about 1 minute until it turns white, then turn off the heat. Pour over the noodles and top with coriander.
Chef's tips
- Don't boil the fish hard — turn off the heat and let it finish in the residual heat so it stays silky.
The TCM view
Gai lan is sweet, pungent and cool, clearing heat and easing the bowels; grass carp is sweet and warm and settles the stomach, balancing the gai lan; a little ginger removes fishiness and protects digestion. Light and balanced, it clears heat without harming the spleen.
