Pork Trotter Soup with Herbs

Winter is considered the optimal season for supplementing and accumulating energy, namely Qi, Blood, and Jing. This ensures that the body has a sufficient supply for the upcoming year. In Chinese cuisine, soup is paramount, seamlessly integrating herbal medicine with everyday foods.

Today, I shall share my recipe for Pork Trotter Soup.

Ingredients of Pork Trotter Soup

• Pork Trotter 500g

• Yam 30g

• Lima Been 20g

• Seaweed 20g

• Aged Tangerine Peel 10g

• fresh Ginger 15g

• Sichuan Pepper 3g

How to cook Pork Trotter Soup

Start by thoroughly washing all the ingredients. Then, cleanse the pork trotter to remove any residual blood. Place the cleaned trotter into a large pot and pour in 2 liters of water. Stew this mixture for approximately 1.5 to 2 hours, ensuring that the pork trotter is cooked until it's completely tender.

Action in TCM

The recipe strengthens the spleen and stomach, supplement Qi, blood, and Jing, and remove dampness and phlegm.

1. Pork Trotter 猪蹄

• Property: sweet, salty, neutral

• Function: supplements Qi and blood, nourish skin, promote lactation

2. Yam 山药

• Property: sweet, neutral

• Function: supplement Qi and Yin of the lungs, spleen, and kidneys

3. Lima Been 芸豆

• Property: sweet, neutral

• Function: warm the middle Jiao, benefit the stomach and intestines, supplement kidney Qi, and arrest rebellious Qi.

4. Seaweed 海带 or 昆布

• Property: salty and cold

• Function: soften hardness, resolve nodules, remove damp, and arrest itching

5. Aged Tangerine Peel 陈皮

• Property: pungent, bitter, and warm

• Function: regulate Qi, harmonize the middle Jiao, dry damp and remove phlegm

6. Fresh Ginger 生姜

• Property: spicy and warm

• Function: promote sweating, expel external pathogens, stop vomiting, help digestion, and clean toxins

7. Sichuan Pepper 花椒

• Property: spicy and warm

• Function: invigorate the spleen and stomach, remove dampness, stop the pain, kill parasites, and arrest itching.

Caution: If you are not sure if this soup is good for you, please contact a TCM practitioner in advance.