Garlic, Wild Amaranth and Lean Pork Soup

Why people make this soup

Bro Niu shares this old home soup at the start of the early-summer enterovirus season (peaking May to July in Hong Kong), when frailer elders and young children need extra care with food. Garlic and wild amaranth are traditionally valued for their antibacterial reputation, and this soup is associated with supporting the gut against intestinal upsets and dysentery. It is tasty and savory, and the whole family — young and old — can share it.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• The whole family, young and old; traditionally taken as a preventive during enterovirus season
• Children with eczema or sensitivities can drink it too, per Bro Niu
• Eat fewer raw, cold, and chilled foods during this season and mind hygiene
• A child who is feverish, vomiting, or unwell should see a doctor

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Garlic (suan tou): traditionally valued for its antibacterial reputation; single-clove garlic is considered even more effective
• Wild amaranth (ma shi xian): the flowering-spike wild amaranth; traditionally associated with curbing intestinal and dysentery bacteria, stronger than ordinary green amaranth
• Lean pork (shou rou): gives the soup savory body

Ingredients (3–4 bowls)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Garlic	7–8 cloves (or 4 single-clove)	Smashed flat with the side of a knife
Wild amaranth	~300 g	Roots trimmed, rinsed; green amaranth can substitute
Lean pork	~225 g	Cut into strips

Method

1. Smash the garlic flat with the flat of a knife. Trim and rinse the wild amaranth. Cut the lean pork into strips.
2. Put the pork and garlic in a pot with 6 bowls of water and bring to a rolling boil.
3. Add the wild amaranth and boil about 10 minutes.
4. Season, then serve, eating the soup and the ingredients together.

Bro Niu’s tips

If you can get single-clove garlic, the effect is considered even better — and it’s worth adding a little minced garlic when stir-frying vegetables day to day. Wild amaranth (ma shi xian) is the kind with a flowering spike on top; if you can’t find it, green amaranth (qing xian cai) can stand in.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Kris): Is wild amaranth (ma shi xian) a wild herb or a vegetable? Bro Niu: Ma shi xian is a vegetable, not a wild medicinal herb.

• Q (Kris): What’s the difference between ma shi xian, green amaranth, and purple-green amaranth? Bro Niu: Ma shi xian works better than green amaranth — it’s quite effective at curbing intestinal and dysentery bacteria. It has a flowering spike on top, so it’s easy to tell apart.

• Q (Ho Ho): There’s no green amaranth for sale — can I use red amaranth instead? And can a child with eczema and sensitivities drink this soup? Bro Niu: Red amaranth works too — it’s just red in color. A child with eczema can drink it.

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Published May 20, 2011 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.