It’s been really warm recently, with temperatures reaching around 33°C during the day. Even though I drink plenty of water throughout the day, sweating can still lead to a loss of fluids and electrolytes. A light, rehydrating soup in the evening, when it’s cooler, feels really comforting and helps restore balance as the temperatures cool down.
I’ve added these exact honey mushrooms to the recipe.
I dried them from last year's harvest, and it's nice to use them up and share them here in #fungifriday by 
Once dried, they always come in handy when they aren’t in season.
Honey mushrooms give a delicious umami depth to the broth, and they also contain natural compounds like beta-glucans and antioxidants that are often talked about for supporting general immune health.
With the beef balls added for protein, it turns into a light but complete meal that is nourishing and easy on the body after a hot day.
Here it is ...
🍄 Nourishing Tonic Soup with Honey Mushrooms & Beef Balls
Ingredients:
🍲 Soup base (4 servings)
Radix glehniae: 10 g
Jade bamboo: 10 g
Chinese yam: 30 g
Lily bulb: 20 g
Job’s tears: 30 g
Jujube (red dates): 1 piece or more if you want it sweeter.
Dried honey mushrooms: 30 g
Water: 3 litres
🥩 Beef balls
Minced beef: 500 g
Egg white: 1
Spring onion: 3 stalks (finely chopped)
Salt: ½ tsp
Black pepper: ¼ tsp
Add 1 tsp cornflour or potato starch if you prefer softer balls.
You can also add additional flavours if you prefer, like ginger etc.
Additional garnish: spring onion, sesame seed oil, soy and lemon for dipping.
🔪 Method
Soup base
Rinse the ingredients.
Wash and simmer tonic ingredients in water for 2 to 3 hours.
Beef balls
Mix minced beef, egg white, chopped spring onion, salt and pepper.
Mix until slightly sticky, do not overmix, or the beef will become rubbery.
Roll into small balls.
Keep cool in the fridge while waiting for the soup base.
Once the soup base is cooked, add beef balls gently.
Cook 8 to 12 minutes until they float and are cooked through
Season with salt
Finish with fresh spring onions.
This is a very nourishing soup, it is light and has got a subtle flavour throughout. There’s a little sweetness from the plum, and the roots and grains aren’t too heavy. I can definitely taste the delicious mushroom flavour, but it’s not overpowering.
Delicious with a dash of sesame oil or some chilli oil for heat and a soy sauce dip with lemon for the beef balls if you prefer a bit stronger taste.
One thing I like about these honey mushrooms is that they kept their shape after 3 hours of simmering and stayed crunchy rather than slimy in the soup, so drying them is the best option if you’re not keen on their sliminess when cooking them from fresh.
It was a lovely finish to the warm day, very rehydrating, just what I needed.
Have a lovely day.
Mariah 💕