🥬🍲 Watercress in Soup - Hong Kong-style soup dish for a quick and easy way to clear heat

Editor's Preface

Watercress in broth is a classic Hong Kong kitchen favorite for clearing heat and reducing internal heat. It's healthy, laxative, and lung-moistening, perfect for both hot and cold weather. Soaked in broth and topped with wolfberries and garlic, it creates a salty, sweet, and residue-free dish. Making it at home is quick, easy, and foolproof. I've tried several recipes, and today I'll share everything from preparing and removing the stalks, mixing in the broth, and finally sharing the garlicky flavor!

Ingredients preparation

• 400-500g watercress (one bunch)

• 400ml broth (homemade chicken broth, concentrated broth, vegetarian broth, or water with powder)

• 3-4 cloves of garlic (slightly smashed or sliced)

• 1 slice of ginger

• 1 tablespoon wolfberries (soaked)

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 tablespoon cooking oil

Optional

• Century egg, tofu cubes, scallops, and shredded carrots (variant version upgrade)

Detailed steps

🥬 1. Watercress processing

• Cut off the old stems and roots, wash away the mud and sand, and then soak in salt water for 10 minutes to remove impurities.

• Drain thoroughly after soaking. Thick leaves and stems can be separated and set aside.

🍲 2. Prepare the soup

• If using bouillon/chicken broth or soup mix: Bring 400ml of water to a boil, add the soup mix, and lower the heat to keep warm.

• To make it yourself, you can use chicken racks, pork bones, scallops, and onions and simmer for more than an hour for the most natural taste.

🧄 3. Sauté to enhance flavor

• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan, fry garlic and ginger until lightly golden (do not burn).

• Quickly pour in the soup stock and bring to a boil. Add in wolfberries and boil for 1 minute.

🥄 4. Add the food and turn off the heat

• Boil the watercress stems in boiling water for 1 minute, then add the watercress leaves and scoop them out.

• Cook over medium heat until the vegetables are soft and start to change color (about 2-4 minutes). Season with a little salt and pepper.

• (If making Hong Kong-style soup, you can add diced preserved egg and diced tofu and cook until cooked through.)

🍚 5. Garnish on the plate

• Serve immediately with soup. The garlic aroma is fragrant and the vegetables are sweet. Sprinkle more wolfberries for more colorful taste.

• It is best to eat it hot, so that the vegetables remain crisp and green without turning yellow.

Editor's Tips

• Watercress should be separated into stems and leaves and then powdered. If it is cooked too long, it will become bitter and turn yellow.

• Sauté the garlic until fragrant, but don't let it burn until it becomes bitter. The best flavor is when the oil is hot enough.

• If you like, you can switch to apricot kernels/mixed scallops or carrots to make the soup sweeter.

• If you only use plain water, you can add more salt and oil for seasoning, which will make the effect more natural.

• It is not recommended to cook watercress soup for a long time (10 minutes is enough) to avoid over-processing and discoloration.

Eating experience 😋

The watercress is crisp and fragrant, while the garlic and wolfberry flavors are warm and refreshing. It is suitable for both winter and summer when eaten with the soup. It is a great dish to go with rice or make into a dinner soup.

summary

Superior Soup with Watercress is a classic Hong Kong family soup dish that clears away heat. It’s simple, healthy, and quick to make. Let’s make this refreshing and sweet soup tonight and serve it with rice! 🥬🍲🧄