I always have fond memories of having a large bowl of my mother’s authentic Asian soups going along with a bowl of rice before heading off to school. She would simmer it for hours and the aromatic herbs and spices would linger in the house for days. Out of all those homemade soups, Sai Yeung Choy Tong (Chinese Watercress Soup) still remains as one of my favourites. Chinese Watercress Soup contains nutrient-dense superfoods and it is considered as a cooling food in Chinese culture. It is a simple dish and very easy to make.

Firstly, remove the scum by placing pork ribs in large pot filled with water enough to cover the ribs, bring to boil and keep it going for 3-5 mins, and then pour out all the scum, rinse pieces with hands. Note pork ribs can be substituted with other pork parts or you may even add in chicken pieces.

In a soup pot, place washed pork ribs, ginger, honey dates, red dates and dried scallops, and pour approximately 3.5L of water. Bring to boil and let it simmer for 30 mins, followed by placing the carrots in. Wait for it to come to a boil before placing watercress in. It is best to place watercress in batches especially if you pot is small. You must only put watercress in each time when it is vigorously boiling. This is to prevent the bitterness of the vegetable.

Let simmer for about 1 hour. Add in goji berries and rock sugar and let it continue simmering for another 1 hour.

Finally, taste and season with salt.

Ready to serve hot as an entrée! Super simple!