Ching Bo Leung Soup with Carrot, Corn, and Pork Shank

Snap 20g Adenophora root short and wash together with 20g Solomon's seal, 20g Chinese yam, and 20g lotus seeds (cored), then soak in water; wash and soak 15g dried longan, 20g lily bulbs, and 20g mung beans separately for 15 minutes; wash 30g coix seeds, 15g Euryale seeds, 15g apricot kernels, 0.5 piece dried tangerine peel, and 3 dried dates, then soak all together for later use.

Wash and peel 1 carrot, then roll-cut into chunks; wash 1 sweet corn, keeping the tender inner husks and corn silk, cut corn into sections and split in half. Wrap the corn silk inside the inner husks, roll tightly, and tie with a strip of corn husk.

Place 400g washed pork shank into a pot with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 3-5 minutes until scum and residual blood float up, then remove pork shank and rinse thoroughly with clean water.

Add blanched pork shank, sweet corn, carrot, Sha Shen, Hai Yu Zhu, Huai Shan, lotus seeds, lily bulbs, longan, mung beans, coix seeds, Euryale seeds, apricot kernels, tangerine peel, dates, and tied corn husk bundle into a soup pot. Pour in 2500ml water to cover all ingredients. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat and boil for 15 minutes to release flavor.

After boiling for 15 minutes, cover with lid and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer gently for 90 minutes until all ingredients become tender and flavors fully melt into the soup.

Uncover after simmering for 90 minutes, and remove the corn husk bundle using kitchen tongs. Add 1 tsp salt to taste, stir well, turn off heat, and ladle the hot soup and ingredients into bowls to serve.