This is an incredibly healthy + nourishing sweet soup we eat in Asia all year round. It’s served from street-side dessert shops to high-end buffet places as a light dessert after a big feast. The nutritional benefits of this soup are endless. To those who have never tried snow fungus — it’s also known as Silver Ear Mushroom. The name is a lot more intimidating than the taste, which resembles and soft jelly. You can pick it up at Asian grocery stores in dried packets. Look for snow fungus that is yellow in color, as the white ones might have been bleached.

Snow fungus is full of Vitamin  D and collagen that gives you plump skin. Red jujube (dates) is the most popular beauty fruit for Asian women. When I lived in China — I had friends who would religiously eat eight per day!

Benefits from these ingredients include:

• Red Dates — lots of vitamin C, iron, and minerals. Great for your immune system

• Rock Sugar — good for healthy lungs, soothing to the stomach

• Dried Longan — warming, builds an appetite, helps with insomnia, and is great for your skin

• Lily Bulb — detoxes your body, good for blood flow and immune system

• Lotus Seeds — Lowers blood pressure and is good for your heart

• Dried snow fungus and ingredients

Snow Fungus with Lotus Seed Soup 冰糖银耳莲子湯

Serves 6 | prep time: 30 mins | cooking time: 2-hours stove top, 30-mins instant pot

Ingredients

• 30 grams dried snow fungus 

• 80 grams Lotus seeds 

• 50 grams Red dates

• 30 grams Lily bulb (optional)

• 20 grams dried Longan (optional)

• Rock sugar or any mild sugar of choice, to taste

Instructions

1. Soak the snow fungus, lotus seeds, and lily bulb for 1 hour or overnight. Remove the stem and tough parts of the snow fungus and cut them into small pieces. If there are lotus hearts in the lotus seeds – remove them as they are bitter in taste.

2. Rinse the red dates, goji berries, and set aside.

3. In a pot over medium-high heat, add water, snow fungus, lotus seeds, and goji berries. After the soup comes to a boil, lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 1-2 hours.* The snow fungus will soften and the soup will become gelatinous and jelly-like. If the snow fungus tastes crunchy, continue cooking until it softens.

4. Add the rock sugar to taste and stir to dissolve. Serve straight away or chilled.

Cooking notes:

1. For Instant Pot, add everything into the pot, seal, and set on high for 30 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.

2. For winter, I added a small handful of dried longan to add heat to the soup. You can add it in step 3 with all of the ingredients.