I got the idea to make this soup after seeing a soup pack being sold in the supermarket for the same recipe so I sort of estimated the amount of ingredients needed for it and bought them separately for this.
I was curious as to why this particular soup was considered a lung nourishing one so I did a little research and found out that white fungus are good for moistening and clearing lungs and also improving the body’s immune system. Similarly, sweet or southern almonds (南杏) can also moisten lungs, improve skin, clear phlegm and treat cough. This is perhaps the true beauty of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) – simple ingredients when combined can make a huge difference to our health.
This soup tastes somewhat sweet (but not like a dessert) and is balanced by the fresh flavour of the pork ribs. Normally I don’t like ‘sweet’ soups like apple pork rib soup or chinese pear soup so I go for more savoury ones like lotus root or salted vegetable duck. However, this one is rather subtle which I think will appeal to both the young and old especially when it has 清热（remove heatiness) properties which is absolutely necessary when we are faced with this sweltering heat in Singapore.
White Fungus Soup 雪耳润肺汤
Ingredients (serves 4)
400g pork ribs (I use soft bones), blanched in boiling water
1 carrot, peeled & sliced into 1/2″ thick chunks
25g white fungus, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes & sliced
40g dried figs
25g sweet/southern almonds (南杏)
2 dried honey dates
water
salt to taste
Instructions
1. Add all ingredients including blanched ribs into soup pot and cover with water.
2. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer for 2 hours.
3. Season with salt to taste.