Mutton and Ginger Soup
1 min readserves 4 to 6
This soup strengthens qi and the blood, invigorates the functions of the spleen and stomach, strengthens the body as a whole, and— because of the warming effects of ginger—dissipates internal cold. It also stimulates the appetite. For these many healing properties, thissoup is often prescribed to convalescents and to women following childbirth.
12 cups (3 liters) water
1 pound (500 grams) mutton
½ cup (100 grams) sliced ginger
2 teaspoons (10 milliliters) rice wine
1 scallion, cut into 4 pieces
1 teaspoon (5 grams) salt Place
4 cups (1 liter) of the water in a soup pot and bring to a boil. Throw in the mutton. After 1 minute, take the meat out of the pot and discard the water. Cut the mutton into 1-inch or 1½-inch cubes. Return the cubed mutton to the soup pot along with the remaining 8 cups (2 liters) of water, and the ginger, rice wine, and scallion. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn down the heat, cover, and let simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until cooked. Season with salt when the soup is cooked. Serve hot.
