Preserved Vegetable and Carp Soup
This is a traditional Chaoshan dish from Guangdong, known for its fresh and delicious flavor. Select one fresh carp, about 500 grams, and clean the内脏 (internal organs) thoroughly. Do not remove the scales. This soup is meant to be light, so there is no need to pan-fry the carp. Use preserved vegetables, slice them, and soak them to remove excess salt. Then, cook them with the carp until the flavors blend together.
Pig Stomach and Water Chestnut Soup
Here is a simple and effective method for cleaning a pig stomach. Heat half a cup of oil in a wok until it is very hot. Put the pig stomach in and blanch it until the sticky substance is removed. Then, take it out and rinse it briefly with clean water.
Select firm and heavy water chestnuts. Peel them and then simmer them with the pig stomach, pork ribs, ginkgo nuts, and dried bean curd skin for 3 hours. This soup is clear, sweet, and delicious.
Amaranth and Pork Slice Soup
In spring, green amaranth has a better flavor than red amaranth. When cooked, the vegetable is smooth and the soup is fresh. Choose amaranth with thick stalks and short stems for the best quality. Simply bring water to a boil, add oil and salt, then put in the pork slices and amaranth and bring to a boil again. This soup has a rich, inviting aroma. Adding a little extra oil when cooking the amaranth will make it even more smooth and delicious.
Dried Scallop and Pork Intestine Soup
When buying pork intestines, ask the butcher to make a small cut in one end, squeeze out a little of the "powder" to check. If it has a yellowish color, the intestine will be bitter. If it is white and clean, you can buy it with confidence. To clean the intestines, insert a single garlic clove from one end all the way through to the other. The garlic not only removes dirt but also eliminates any bad odor. After cleaning, simmer the intestines with soaked dried scallops, fox nuts, and goji berries for 3 hours. This soup is nourishing and has a delicious flavor.
Pig Pancreas and Goji Berry Soup
Goji berries are at their plumpest and most tender in spring and summer. When cooked with pig pancreas and pork liver in a soup, the result is a unique blend of bitter, sweet, and fresh flavors that is very nourishing. The "pancreas" (横脷) refers to the pig's pancreas and is not related to the pig's tongue. After slicing the pork liver, rinse it briefly in clean water before adding marinade and mixing. This rinsing step prevents blood from seeping into the soup and keeps the broth clear. For an even better soup in terms of color, aroma, and flavor, you can add an egg before serving.