Chinese watercress soup can be cooked in basically two steps. This fits the current trend of bone broth and simple recipes. The Chinese, however, have been having such soups or broth since decades ago. The ingredients needed are minimal, so that makes preparation very simple. Using very nutritional ingredients such as goji berries, red dates, honey dates and many others with medicinal values, these Chinese bone broths are recipes you need to try in order to appreciate. For more natural sweetness, you may add maize or carrot.
Where to find watercress?
Fresh watercress is normally used in this recipe. However, being in Europe, I was unable to get hold of them but was lucky enough to find the dried version at the Asian grocer. They are usually sold in packs and stacked along with the dried fruits or herbs.
Using slow cooker
In this recipe, I allowed the soup to boil before reducing the heat to the minimum and let it simmer for 1.5 hours. The soup has to be slowly simmered so that the taste of the ingredients would be infused together. However, cooking soups using the slow cooker makes it even easier. It is recommended to cook it for 6-8 hours on low heat to allow the vegetables to slowly release their nutrients. Otherwise, cook it at high heat for 3-4 hours. It's that simple. Lots of patience is needed to prepare the soup. Trust me, it is worth the time and patience.
Not suitable during pregnancy or menstruation
As watercress is said to have cooling properties, women who are pregnant in their first trimester should avoid this soup. This also applies to those who are menstruating as food with cooling properties may cause period cramps which can be very uncomfortable.