As the saying goes, "Eat well in winter and fight tigers in spring." January has arrived, and a new year has begun. It is important to focus on health and wellness at this time. We all know that drinking soup is the best way to nourish the body, especially in the cold winter. Here are some recommended winter nourishing soups for you.
1. Bone Soup
Ingredients: 1000g vertebral bones, 500g stick bones, appropriate amount of water, ginger slices, scallion segments, soy sauce, cooking wine, peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, salt.
Method: Remember to use a small amount of soy sauce to give the soup a slightly brown color. Simmer for 40-60 minutes. After the bone soup is ready, pour it into a small bowl and store it in the freezer for later use.
Effect: Bone soup has anti-aging effects. Similarly, bone soup can also promote bone growth in adolescents. For middle-aged and elderly people, drinking bone soup can slow down bone aging.
2. Lamb Soup
Ingredients: lamb meat, lamb bones, lamb offal, chopped green onion, coriander, garlic chives.
Method: Wash the lamb meat and lamb bones, prepare the lamb offal, put the lamb meat and offal in a pot to boil, add some green onion and ginger (do not add star anise, it will overpower the flavor). When the lamb meat and offal are cooked, remove them from the pot and slice them for later use.
Put the lamb bones in a pot, add enough water, and start boiling. After about an hour, skim off the impurities floating on the surface. At this point, the soup will become clear. Add some green onion and ginger, and continue boiling until the soup turns milky white like milk. Boiling soup requires patience.
Place the sliced lamb meat and offal in a bowl, add some chopped green onion, coriander, garlic chives, and a suitable amount of salt. Pour the hot lamb soup into the bowl. Now you have a bowl of creamy and flavorful lamb soup. It goes well with layered pancakes or baked buns. If you like spicy food, you can add some chili.
Effect: Lamb soup has a warming effect and can warm the stomach, promote digestion, nourish the glands, and tonify the kidney yang. It has certain effects in treating weakness, thinness, and insufficient lactation. However, excessive consumption may lead to excessive internal heat.
3. Astragalus and Black Chicken Soup
Ingredients: 50g astragalus, 1000g black chicken, 10g spring onion, 10g ginger
Method: Clean the black chicken and blanch it in boiling water. Remove and wash the astragalus. Stuff the astragalus into the chicken, put it in a clay pot, add chicken broth, cooking wine, salt, spring onion, and ginger. Stew over low heat until the chicken is tender and flavorful.
Effect: Astragalus and black chicken soup is a commonly used nourishing soup in folk medicine. It has the effects of tonifying the middle, invigorating qi, and nourishing the blood.
4. Goji Berry and Quail Soup
Ingredients: 1 quail, 30g goji berries, 30g Huang Jing (Polygonatum), salt, monosodium glutamate
Method: Slaughter and clean the quail, remove the feathers and internal organs, wash it, stuff it with goji berries and Huang Jing, add an appropriate amount of water, stew over low heat, add salt and monosodium glutamate to taste.
Effect: Drinking goji berry and quail soup in winter can nourish the body and keep warm, and prevent arteriosclerosis. Quail contains lecithin, which can inhibit platelet aggregation, protect blood vessel walls, and prevent arteriosclerosis. It is beneficial for the elderly to drink it regularly.
5. Crucian Carp Soup
Ingredients: 100g winter bamboo shoots, 1 crucian carp (250g), yellow wine, ginger slices, salt, monosodium glutamate, refined vegetable oil
Method: Peel and slice the winter bamboo shoots, wash them, then boil them in boiling water to remove the bitterness. Remove the scales and internal organs of the crucian carp, wash it, then fry it in a hot pan until the skin turns slightly yellow. Pour in yellow wine, add water, bamboo shoots, ginger slices, and simmer for a while. Add salt and monosodium glutamate to taste.
Effect: Crucian carp soup can promote diuresis, invigorate the spleen and replenish qi. It contains comprehensive and high-quality protein, which can strengthen the elastic fibers of the skin. It has a unique effect in relieving early wrinkles caused by stress, lack of sleep, and other mental factors. It is suitable for people with chronic nephritis edema, liver cirrhosis ascites, and malnutrition-related edema.
6. Beef Soup
Ingredients: 10g black pepper, 10g fennel, 500g beef, 1 garlic clove
Method: Wash the black pepper and fennel. Wash the garlic and cut it into sections. Remove the fascia from the beef, wash it, and cut it into large pieces. Put all the ingredients in a pot, add an appropriate amount of water, bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 2 hours. Add soy sauce and monosodium glutamate to taste. Enjoy the soup and eat the beef and garlic.
Effect: Beef is rich in protein, and its amino acid composition is closer to human needs than pork. It can improve the body's disease resistance. It is particularly suitable for supplementing blood loss and repairing tissues in growing, postoperative, and post-illness recovery. Eating beef in the cold winter can warm the stomach and is an excellent tonic for the season.
