老火湯LO FO TONG

All soups › Heat-clearing

Mustard green, salted egg and pork slice soup

芥菜鹹蛋肉片湯
cools internal fireclears heatWinterAll year quick-boiled · 18 minutes A$6–9

“Heaty? Then this is the pot.”

Ingredients

街市Leaf mustard green500 g
街市Lean pork· sliced, and marinated with 1 teaspoon light soy sauce, half a teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon cornflour, pepper and oil100 g
街市Salted duck egg· separate the yolk from the white1
街市Fresh ginger· old ginger smashed into large slices. 芥菜 soups always take large smashed slices of old ginger, to keep the cool nature from bringing on a cough3 to 4 slices

Method

Heat the wok and fry the ginger until fragrant, soften the 芥菜 stems in it and then add the leaves, then pour in boiling water. The salted egg yolk goes in first and the white after. Do not stir the white, let it set into ribbons.

  1. Heat the wok and fry the ginger slices until fragrant (爆香, a quick high-heat fry to bring out the aroma)
  2. Add the 芥菜 (mustard greens) stems and stir-fry until soft, then add the leaves
  3. Pour in 4 cups of boiling water
  4. When it comes back to the boil, add the pork slices and the 鹹蛋 (salted duck egg) yolk
  5. Once the pork is cooked, add the salted egg white and do not stir, let it set into ribbons
  6. Turn off the heat and taste

Who it suits

  • cooling down when you feel heaty
  • a family soup for winter, when 芥菜 is in season

Who should take care

  • 鹹蛋 is high in sodium and cholesterol, so take it in moderation
  • people with a cold stomach should be generous with the ginger

Soup stories

The News Lens ran this soup as its example of a winter fast-boil, in an extract from 《四季裡的港式湯水圖鑑》, which shows how canonical it is. 節瓜鹹蛋肉片湯, already listed under the long-boiled soups, is its sibling.

From the same family

Winter melon, dried shrimp and glass noodle soupNot yet surveyed (we say so honestly)
冬瓜蝦米粉絲湯（滾冬瓜湯）
clears heatdispels dampnesspromotes water metabolismSummer
街市Winter melon· about 600 g (1 catty)百子櫃Dried small shrimp· 1 to 2 tablespoons百子櫃Mung bean vermicelli· 1 bunch百子櫃Dried shiitake mushroom· 2 to 3街市Fresh ginger· 2 slices

“Heaty? Then this is the pot.”

Angled loofah, cloud ear fungus and pork slice soupA$7–15
勝瓜雲耳肉片湯（絲瓜滾湯）
clears heatcools internal fireeases the bowelsSummer
街市Angled loofah· 1 to 2百子櫃Cloud ear fungus· 1 small handful街市Lean pork· about 150 to 200 g街市Fresh ginger· 2 to 3 slices

“Heaty? Then this is the pot.”

Yellowcress (marsh cress) and snakehead fish soupNot yet surveyed (we say so honestly)
塘葛菜生魚湯
clears heatdispels dampnessmoistens the lungsSpringSummerAll year
百子櫃Yellowcress / marsh cress· 300 g百子櫃Snakehead fish· 1, about 600 g (1 catty)街市Lean pork· 300 g百子櫃Candied honey date· 2百子櫃Aged dried tangerine peel· 1 piece街市Fresh ginger· 3 slices

“Heaty? Then this is the pot.”

Lo Fo Tong is cultural food-heritage reference, not medical advice. If you are pregnant, unwell or on medication, talk to your doctor or registered practitioner before changing what is in the pot.