Soups
Roselle, Tomato and Fish Slice Soup
Traditionally refreshing and supportive of healthy blood pressure
Why people make this soup
Bro Niu spotted roselle being used in a soup in the newspaper, and since he’d been teaching a flower-tea class with roselle anyway, he gave it a try — and found it surprisingly appetizing and tasty. Roselle has a pleasant tartness and is traditionally associated with refreshing the mouth, helping with weight, and supporting healthy blood pressure, making it a summer favorite. Paired with equally tangy tomato in a quick fish-slice soup, it leaves the mouth fresh and watering — a dish he thinks well suited to those who are overweight or watching blood pressure and blood sugar.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- People who enjoy a light, tangy soup and are watching weight or blood pressure
- A refreshing choice for hot weather
- For diagnosed high blood pressure, keep up your doctor’s care; this is a supportive food, not a treatment
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Roselle (luo shen hua): tart and refreshing; traditionally associated with quenching thirst, supporting weight management and healthy blood pressure
- Tomato (fan qie): bright and tangy, and a good source of pectin
- Grass carp fillet (wan yu pian): light, lean protein; any fresh fish can stand in
- Ginger and scallion white: warm and balance the fish
Ingredients (about 4 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dried roselle flowers | 4 | Don’t overdo it — too tart |
| Tomatoes | 3 | Rinsed, cut into chunks |
| Grass carp fillet | from 1 fish | Thinly sliced |
| Fresh ginger | 3 slices | |
| Scallion whites | 3 | Cut into segments |
Method
- Rinse the tomatoes and cut into chunks. Thinly slice the fish fillet. Cut the scallion whites into segments.
- Bring 4 bowls of water to the boil, add all the ingredients, and boil for about 5 minutes. Serve.
Bro Niu’s tips
Roselle is quite tart, so don’t add too much at once — 3 to 4 flowers is plenty.
Community questions answered (selected)
-
Q (roselle): For fresh roselle in a soup with carrot and pork bones, how long do I cook it? And how long to steep for a tea? Bro Niu: The vitamin C in roselle is protected by its own tartness, so it survives a long simmer — you can add it from the start and cook it for up to an hour.
-
Q (ryanlee): Can I use other kinds of fish instead of grass carp? Bro Niu: Yes, any fresh fish works fine.
-
Q (Sai Man): I’m vegetarian — what can replace the fish? Can someone with coronary heart disease drink this? Bro Niu: Without fish, add carrot instead — it’s very tasty, and yes, someone with coronary heart disease can drink it.
Published March 7, 2011 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.
