American Ginseng & Lotus Seed Soup (花旗蔘莲子瘦肉汤)

I had a chance to visit my boss's family in Toronto last year. I managed to do some shopping although it was not really a long trip, as the idea was actually to meet her up at Toronto before flying together to Omaha, USA to attend the annual ICES exhibition.

I guess the first thing one could think of bringing back from Canada as souvenir is its maple syrup. So apart from bringing this, I did grab some newly discovered asian sauces, different varieties of BBQ sauces, nuts, dried berries, interesting kitchen gadgets, and not forgetting the famous American Ginseng. If you ever consider buying ginseng in bulk, you may want to bring it back in its original root form and store it air tightly in the freezer. Chopping it into thin slices encourages moisture loss. What I normally do when I need to use the ginseng is, take the amount of ginseng (still in its root form) enough for 2-3 times of soup making and get it chopped for RM5 at the herbal shop opposite of my office.

Today's recipe is a simple way of boiling tonic soup with American Ginseng. As a matter of fact, I am in the mid of clearing my pantry, especially the old 'stock'. You will see more recipes from me.


American Ginseng & Lotus Seed Soup (花旗蔘莲子瘦肉汤)
Serves 4

Ingredients:
15g American ginseng
40g lotus seeds
160g lean pork, sliced
2L water
Salt to taste


Method:

1. Clean ginseng and lotus seeds thoroughly. Soak them till soft.
2. Including the water for soaking ginseng and lotus seeds, except salt, combine all ingredients in a pot and bring it to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and keep simmering for 1 hour. Taste with salt. Serve hot.