Pork kidney soup with eucommia bark and walnuts
Carefully cleaned pork kidney simmered with eucommia bark and walnuts into a gentle, warming soup that supports the kidneys and lower back without overheating.
- 1 hr 30 min
- Serves 2
- Simmer
- Medium
Why it suits you: Yang-deficient people feel the cold, get a cold, aching lower back and knees and often wake to pass water, and summer air conditioning and iced drinks drain kidney yang further. Eucommia tonifies the liver and kidneys, walnuts warm the kidneys and kidney supports kidney; the soup warms without drying, so it won't overheat you in Grain Buds.
Method
Prep 30 min · Cook 60 min- 1Halve the kidneys horizontally, snip out the white membrane, slice, and soak in cold water for 20 minutes, changing the water twice.
- 2Blanch the pork and the kidney separately in boiling water with ginger and Shaoxing wine for 2 minutes, then rinse.
- 3Rinse the eucommia and walnuts and put them in a pot with the pork and ginger. Add the water, bring to the boil and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes.
- 4Add the kidney and goji berries, simmer for 10 more minutes and season with salt.
Cautions
- Pork kidney is high in purines and cholesterol; limit it with gout, high uric acid or high cholesterol.
- If you take blood pressure medication, check with your doctor first.
Chef's tips
- Remove every bit of white membrane and soak the kidney well so the soup has no off smell; add it late so it stays tender.
The TCM view
Eucommia bark is sweet and warm, tonifying the liver and kidneys and strengthening sinews and bones. Walnut is sweet and warm, tonifying the kidneys and moistening the intestines. Pork kidney is sweet, salty and neutral, supporting kidney qi; goji nourishes the liver and kidneys, and ginger warms the middle. Together they gently warm kidney yang and strengthen the lower back and knees.
