Bok Choy and Wolfberry Soup

The Wolfberry fruit is a red-orange berry, part of the tomato and chilli pepper family.  Also known as Goji or Chinese Wolfberries, they are grown in the north west part of China.  Good quality wolfberries has a natural red colour, is in good shape and do not stick together.  They are mostly sold in dried form, usually consumed after cooking or chewed like raisins.  The Chinese use them in dishes, soups or boiled as a tea.

The berries are believed to be high in antioxidants, calcium, iron, zinc and vitamins B1, B6, C and E.  They can help reduce the risk of kidney and liver conditions, strengthen teeth and bones, relieve certain eye conditions like cataract, retinopathy and help slow down the process of premature aging.

Wolfberry is not for treating diseases, instead its main health benefit is to nourish our body and the following soup recipe is indeed refreshing and nourishing.

wolfberries or goji, bok choy, beancurd sheet and chicken stock make up this nourishing soup

Recipe for Bok Choy and Wolfberry Soup aka 'Seong Tong Lye Pak'

Ingredients

250 gm Chicken frame

250 gm Lye Pak Choy

10 gm wolfberries - washed and set aside

120 gm Beancurd sheet

5 cups water

Salt to taste

Preparation

Boil the chicken frame with 5 cups of water

for about 1 hour, to make stock

Soak the beancurd sheets for a while

Cut into 2.1/2 inch lengths

Add into the soup when it's boiling

Also add in the pak choy

Cook the beancurd sheets till soft

but not disintegrated

The vegetable needs to be only threequarters cooked

Add salt to taste
Turn off heat
Toss in the washed wolfberries

Dish out into a bowl

Serve hot

Note :  Get the beancurd sheets for soup and not for 'tong sui', dessert.

            Beancurd sheets for 'tong sui' tend to disintegrate easily.

If wolfberries are boiled, they will taste sour,
so add them in after the heat is turned off.