老火湯LO FO TONG

All soups › Spleen-strengthening

Mustard green, tofu and lean pork soup

芥菜豆腐瘦肉湯
eases indigestionresolves phlegmAll year quick-boiled · 18 minutes A$6–11

“The pot she makes when someone needs looking after.”

Ingredients

街市Leaf mustard green· stems in first, leaves after1 head
百子櫃Tofu1 block
街市Lean pork· sliced and marinatedabout 150 to 300 g
街市Fresh ginger2 to 3 slices

Method

A fast-boil soup: ingredients go in once the water boils. The 芥菜 stems go in first and the leaves after, and the pork slices go in only for the last few minutes.

  1. Bring the water to the boil and add the ginger slices
  2. Add the 芥菜 (mustard greens) stems, and once it has boiled a little, add the leaves
  3. Add the 豆腐 (tofu)
  4. Add the pork slices for the last few minutes, and as soon as they are just cooked, season with salt

Who it suits

  • good all year round (HK01’s Chinese medicine framing: it eases stagnation, promotes fluids and clears phlegm without being cooling, because the 豆腐 and lean pork soften the cool nature of 芥菜)
  • the suits-everyone member of the 芥菜 soup family

Who should take care

  • people with a very cold constitution should be generous with the ginger

Soup stories

A lower-salt, gentler version of 芥菜鹹蛋肉片湯, and a weeknight soup for families who are steering clear of 鹹蛋.

From the same family

"ABC soup" — tomato, potato, carrot and corn soup with porkA$12–20
ABC湯(番茄薯仔紅蘿蔔粟米瘦肉湯)
whets the appetiteeases indigestionstrengthens the spleenAll year
街市Tomato· 3街市Potato· 2街市Carrot· 1街市Corn / maize (with corn silk)· 1街市Onion· half街市Lean pork· 600 g

“The pot she makes when someone needs looking after.”

Shiitake mushroom, carrot and red date soup with lean porkA$7–12
冬菇紅蘿蔔紅棗瘦肉湯
strengthens the spleenwhets the appetitereplenishes qiAll year
百子櫃Dried shiitake mushroom· 6 to 8街市Carrot· 2百子櫃Red jujube date· 6街市Lean pork· 300 g街市Fresh ginger· 2 slices

“The pot she makes when someone needs looking after.”

Chayote, corn and carrot soup with pork ribsNot yet surveyed (we say so honestly)
合掌瓜粟米紅蘿蔔排骨湯
relieves drynessstrengthens the spleenwhets the appetiteAll year
街市Chayote· 2街市Corn / maize (with corn silk)· 1 to 2街市Carrot· 1街市Pork spare ribs· 350 to 600 g百子櫃Candied honey date· 2百子櫃Dried scallop (conpoy)· 2… +1

“The pot she makes when someone needs looking after.”

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.