Chinese Mustard Green Soup with Tofu and Pork (芥菜豆腐肉片湯)

Cantonese style soup is one of the staples on our family table.  Quite often, I prepare the kind that requires long hours of cooking in the double boiler.  The main purpose of those soups is to strengthen our body’s immune system.  But every once in a while, a quick cooking soup is just what we crave for especially this time of year.  This Chinese Mustard Green Soup with Tofu and Pork (芥菜豆腐肉片湯) can help you fight off the “heat” in your body (清熱 in Chinese).   In other words, it really means detox, as many believe.  Detox or not, I’m not too sure.  All I know is that you’re going to feel much better after drinking it.  At least your tummy will thank you.  It's the Memorial long weekend in the States.  So, if you're firing up the grill, you might want to prepare this soup for a little detox (清熱) after consuming all the barbecued food.



I love the flavor and naturally balanced ingredients in this soup.  The fresh ginger root is refreshing, super earthy and slightly spicy.  It provides the right amount of heat that balance well with the coolness of the Chinese Mustard Green, which is a kind of “super food” on the Asian vegetable list.  The tofu and pork provide a great sauce of protein.  I can totally make this soup a meal by itself.



Interested to know how to make it?  Follow me to the kitchen.  I promise, you’ll be drinking soup within 30 minutes. 

1) In a medium bowl mix all pork marinade together along with the pork slices.  Stir well to coat evenly.  Set aside.

2) In a medium pot, bring the chicken broth and ginger to a boil on high heat.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. 

3) & 4) Turn heat to medium high, add mustard greens and tofu. 

5) & 6)  Let the soup return to a boil, stir in marinated pork slices.  When pork is cooked through, remove from heat, add white pepper powder and sesame oil.  Serve hot and enjoy.



Super quick and easy, isn't it?  Instead of eating dessert or junk food, my hubby and I had this as a late night “snack” the other night and it felt so good.  I hope you’ll give this a try as well.  I’m sure you and your family will love it just as much.  After all, you know you’re putting something wholesome and healthy into your body.



Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoy today’s post and recipe.  Stay tuned for more yummy recipe or adventures in future posts. 




Props and Tools used in this post:

Core Bamboo Cutting Board (Click here to see product information)
Assorted Floral Chopsticks (Click here to see similar product)
Curled Handle Ceramic Spoon (Click here to see product information)
Crane Chopsticks Rest (Click here to see product information)
Shoji Paper Roll Up Window Blinds used as backdrop (Click here to see product information)




Chinese Mustard Green Soup with Tofu and Pork (芥菜豆腐肉片湯):

Ingredients for pork and marinade:
1/4 pound pork, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon Chinese (Shao Xing) cooking wine
1/2 teaspoon corn starch
1/4 teaspoon sugar
a pinch of white pepper powder
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil

Ingredients for soup:
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 inches fresh ginger root, thinly sliced
1 small head of Chinese Mustard Green
8 ounces medium firm tofu, diced
1/8 teaspoon white pepper powder (more to serve on the side)
a dash of sesame oil

In a medium bowl mix all pork marinade together along with the pork slices.  Stir well to coat evenly.  Set aside.

In a medium pot, bring the chicken broth and ginger to a boil on high heat.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.  Turn heat to medium high, add mustard greens and tofu.  Let soup return to a boil, stir in marinated pork slices.  When pork is cooked through, remove from heat, add white pepper powder and sesame oil.  Serve hot and enjoy.