Keyword: lotus root sweet soup, lotus root sweet soup with dates and figs
Prep Time: 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 50 minutesminutes
Total Time: 1 hourhour5 minutesminutes
Servings: 5
Calories: 236kcal
Author: Bee Leng | The Burning Kitchen
Lotus root, figs and honey dates all have superb healing properties, and when they are combined, you get a super powerful antioxidant-rich cooling sweet soup! Learn how to make it.
Use a brush to scrub the lotus root well to get rid any mud.
Wash the lotus root thoroughly. Cut away the joints (the hard parts in between the sections of the lotus root) and discard. Then slice the lotus root sections into thin slices.
Remove the seeds from the red dates and rinse.
Rinse the figs, honey dates and wolfberries.
COOKING METHOD
Add 2.5 litres of water to a pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
Add in the lotus root slices, figs, honey dates and red dates, then continue to boil over medium heat for 40 minutes.
Add in the wolfberries and boil for a further 10 minutes.
Turn off the heat.The lotus root sweet soup is now ready to be served either hot and chilled.
Notes
COOKING TIPS
Don't wash the mud off if you are not cooking it straightaway. Leaving the mud on the lotus root will preserve its freshness when you keep in the fridge for a few days.
Wrap the lotus root with newspaper before putting in the fridge to prevent dehydration.
Soak the lotus root in cold water with a little vinegar to prevent the lotus root from turning brown after slicing.
Add some rock sugar if you prefer the soup to be sweeter.
Don't eat raw lotus root as it may harbour parasites that are often found in aquatic plants (same goes for water chestnuts if they are not washed properly!). These parasites may cling on to our intestines and cause stomach ache, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, fever and intestinal discomfort. Cooking kills the parasites and makes them safe to consume.
It does not matter whether you peel off the skin of the lotus root or not as long as it has been washed thoroughly. As for me I usually leave the skin on unless it has too many brown spots that look unpresentable.
HOW TO CHOOSE LOTUS ROOT?
Choose a stout lotus root that is heavy and firm.
Each section of the lotus root should be regularly shaped and straight.
The color of the lotus root should be vibrant brown.
Avoid lotus root that have bruises or dark soft spots on the skin or look dehydrated and too white.
Buy Lotus roots coated with mud, that are sold at wet markets. I prefer to buy this type of lotus root if possible, as they are very fresh. The green grocer will usually scrap off some of the mud before weighing.