Tofu & Chrysanthemum Thick Soup (Doufu Juhua Geng)

Main Ingredients

• Soft tofu (silken or southern tofu) 200-300g
• Fresh chrysanthemum flowers 20-40g
• Dandelion (Pu Gong Ying) 10-15g
• Winter bamboo shoots 50g
• Carrot 50g
• Fresh ginger 3 slices
• Chopped green onion to taste
• Goji berries 10 pieces
• Salt to taste
• White pepper powder a pinch
• Water starch (cornstarch) as needed
• Cooking oil a little

Steps

1. Rinse 5-10g of dried chrysanthemum (or 20-40g fresh) gently to remove dust. Dried chrysanthemum can be soaked in warm water for 5 minutes. If using fresh, rinse and drain. Remove the surface skin from 200-300g of soft tofu, cut into 2cm cubes, or mash and strain through a fine sieve for a smoother texture.

   

2. Heat a little oil in a pot and sauté 3 slices of ginger for about 30 seconds until fragrant.

   

3. Add tofu cubes, gently shake the pot to prevent sticking. Pour in about 500ml of water and add the chrysanthemum. If using 10-15g of dandelion, decoct first to obtain about 200ml of liquid and use it instead of water.

   

4. Simmer over medium heat for 8 minutes until the broth turns light yellow, skimming off any foam. Add salt and white pepper to taste.

   

5. Slowly pour in a water starch slurry while stirring until the soup thickens to a smooth consistency. Turn off the heat, garnish with chopped green onion and goji berries, and serve warm.

   

TCM Notes

Soft Tofu: Sweet in taste, cool in nature; enters the Spleen, Stomach, and Large Intestine meridians. Known for tonifying the middle, boosting qi, clearing heat, moistening dryness, generating fluids, quenching thirst, and cleansing the intestines. Suitable for heat-prone constitutions, bad breath, thirst, and post-illness recovery. Tofu is rich in iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, high-quality protein, and is known as “plant meat,” with a digestion absorption rate of over 95%. Two small pieces of tofu can meet a person's daily calcium needs. Chrysanthemum: Sweet and bitter in taste, slightly cold in nature; enters the Lung and Liver meridians. Known for dispersing wind-heat, calming the liver, improving vision, and clearing heat and toxins. The vitamin A precursors in chrysanthemum help relieve red swollen eyes. The flavonoids in chrysanthemum work synergistically with soy isoflavones in tofu to promote metabolism. Dandelion (optional): Bitter and sweet in taste, cold in nature; enters the Liver and Stomach meridians. Known for clearing heat, detoxifying, reducing swelling, and dispersing nodules. Combined with chrysanthemum, it enhances the heat-clearing and detoxifying effects, providing auxiliary support for eczema and skin itching. Synergistic Effect: Tofu clears heat, moistens dryness, and generates fluids; chrysanthemum disperses wind-heat, calms the liver, and improves vision; dandelion clears heat and detoxifies. Total approx. 150-200 kcal – a low-fat, high-protein, nourishing medicinal soup rich in plant protein, calcium, and flavonoid active compounds.

Suitable for：Those with early-stage wind-heat colds, headache, dizziness, and red swollen eyes Those with dry eyes and blurred vision due to Liver fire Those with skin eczema, itching, and in eczema recovery (adjunctive support) Those with heat-prone constitution, bad breath, thirst, and unclean intestines Those prone to internal heat in late autumn needing wind-dispelling and fire-clearing Those with hypertension and hyperlipidemia (adjunctive support) General population for daily heat-clearing, dryness-moistening, and liver-nourishing support

Not suitable for：Those with Spleen-Stomach Cold Deficiency – tofu is cool, and chrysanthemum is slightly cold; those with cold intolerance, easy diarrhea, or abdominal cold pain should not consume much. Add 3 slices of ginger to balance the cold nature. Those with wind-cold colds – chrysanthemum is slightly cold and may worsen wind-cold symptoms (severe chills, clear runny nose, white thin phlegm). For wind-cold conditions, use Ginger Chrysanthemum Tofu Soup instead. Gout / Hyperuricemia patients – tofu contains moderate purine; those with gout or elevated blood uric acid should avoid. Those with renal insufficiency – excessive tofu consumption may lead to accumulation of plant protein metabolites, increasing kidney burden. Those allergic to chrysanthemum – avoid; substitute with other medicine-food homologous ingredients. Those with diarrhea or loose stools – tofu is cool and chrysanthemum is slightly cold, which may worsen diarrhea. Pregnant women – chrysanthemum is slightly cold; consult a doctor before consuming.