Black Fungus Thick Soup 高纤黑菜羹

Black fungus is a highly nutritious type of mushroom that is rich in iron and calcium and boasts of many therapeutic benefits such as aiding in digestion, conducive for discharge of toxins in the body, reduce cholesterol etc etc. It is a highly recommended food for people who are detoxing, dieting or simply looking at healthy eating.

I would usually stir fry black fungus with vegetables or braise with chicken. It's tasteless on its own, but the crunchy texture complements other ingredients very well.

This particular recipe is adapted from a chinese book, "这样吃, 一定瘦!", 台湾生机饮食专家王明勇老师 ("Eat This Way, Slim Forever", by a renown Macrobiotic expert in Taiwan). 王明勇老师 has also hosted a programme "饮食误区 Dietary Errors" on Channel U two years back that discussed about typical misconceptions about dieting and healthy eating. This recipe was featured in one of the episodes and I was very keen to give it a try. Then I saw the book on sale at Popular Bookstore and decided to buy it to learn more about proper way of dieting as well as healthy eating. A handful of recipes are included and this thick soup has become one of my favourite.

Basically this soup uses blended black fungus as a base without the need for any thickening agent like corn starch. Golden mushroom and root vegetables like bamboo shoots and carrots are added for some texture and crunch. Soup is seasoned with mushroom powder and when ready to eat, you can add a dash of sesame oil, pepper and even black vinegar for a little bit of tangy taste. Very quick and simple to prepare and yet very delicious. Suitable for vegetarians as well.

Black Fungus Thick Soup 高纤黑菜羹
(serves 2-3 pax)

Ingredients

• 200g fresh black fungus
• 1/2 pc bamboo shoot
• 1 small carrot
• 1 packet golden mushroom
• 600ml water
• mushroom powder seasoning, sea salt to taste
• sesame oil, pepper, black vinegar, chinese celery

Steps

1. Reserve 4 pieces of black fungus. Blended the remaining into fine bits with 200ml of water. Set aside.
2. Cut the 4 pieces of black fungus into shreds, the bamboo shoots into thin strips, julienne the carrot and golden mushroom into 3 sections. Set aside.
3. Pour the blended black fungus into a cooking pot, add another 400ml of water. Bring to boil over medium heat.
4. Once the soup boils, add the black fungus, bamboo shoots, carrots and golden mushroom. Cook over medium low heat for about 8-10 mins.
5. Season with mushroom powder and sea salt to taste.
6. Garnish with chinese celery, sesame oil, pepper and black vinegar. Best serve warm.