Frost's Descent · Breakfast · Phlegm-Dampness
Savoury oat porridge with shiitake & cabbage
A savoury oat porridge with shiitake, cabbage and egg ribbons — ready in 10 minutes, light yet filling.
- 22 min
- Serves 2
- Simmer
- Easy
NeutralClears damp, aids digestionResolves phlegm
Why it suits you: Phlegm-Dampness brings heaviness and bloating and calls for light, low-fat food. Oats and cabbage strengthen digestion, while shiitake and tangerine peel move qi and clear phlegm. In dry Frost's Descent weather, a savoury porridge beats sweet oats — no sugar to feed the damp.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 12 min- 1Soak the shiitake and tangerine peel the night before (or in hot water for 15 minutes in the morning). Slice the mushrooms, shred the peel and keep the mushroom water.
- 2Bring the water and mushroom water to the boil with the shiitake, peel and ginger, and simmer for 3 minutes.
- 3Add the oats and cabbage and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring, until the oats are creamy and the cabbage is tender.
- 4Pour in the beaten eggs and stir gently into ribbons. Season with salt and white pepper and serve.
Chef's tips
- Rolled oats keep more bite than instant oats and only need a couple of minutes longer.
The TCM view
Oats are sweet and neutral and build spleen qi; cabbage is sweet and neutral and settles the stomach; shiitake is sweet and neutral, building qi and resolving phlegm; tangerine peel is pungent, bitter and warm, moving qi and drying damp; ginger and white pepper warm the middle. Light and balanced, it clears damp without drying.
