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If you are craving something soupy and sweet, try this soft and light Chinese-style soup – Snow Fungus Dessert Soup. This dessert is vegan-friendly and gluten-free. It is a simple dessert made with four key ingredients: snow fungus, red dates, rock sugar, and goji berries.
This recipe calls for a no-fuss cooking method that only requires boiling and stirring these ingredients together to create a soft gelatinous soup.
- What Is Snow Fungus Dessert Soup?
- The Health Benefits Of Snow Fungus Dessert Soup
- How To Store Snow Fungus Dessert Soup
- Tips For Making Snow Fungus Dessert Soup
- Prepare These Items To Make Snow Fungus Dessert Soup
- Steps To Make Snow Fungus Dessert Soup
What Is Snow Fungus Dessert Soup?
As the name suggests, this sweet dessert makes use of snow fungus, also known as snow ear, white jelly mushroom, and white cloud ears. It is a staple ingredient used for sweet and savory Chinese dishes.
You can find snow fungus in Asian groceries and supermarkets but expect the price to be pricier than the more common black wood ear fungus.
To make this sweet dessert soup, snow fungus is boiled with red dates, rock sugar, and goji berries. Red dates have an apple-like texture and add caramel flavors, whereas rock sugar brings the soup its sweetness. Moreover, the soup has a hint of tartness and sourness with the add-on goji berries.
Snow fungus dessert soup is perfect for hot summers or cold winters. You can serve it warm in winter or cold from the fridge on hot summer days. It also goes well after a meal as a light dessert for a complete dining experience.
The Health Benefits of Snow Fungus Dessert Soup
With all natural plant-based ingredients, it is safe to say that this sweet soup dessert has many health benefits. This Cantonese Tong Sui (sugar water) recipe is known for its medicinal properties and beauty effects. It is loved for promoting healthy skin, boosting the immune system, and treating dry cough and inflammation.
Let’s break down the benefits of each ingredient:
Snow Fungus
- Packed with plant collagen and 17 types of amino acids that promote youthful skin, reduce wrinkles, and increase fluid production
- Nourishes and soothes the lungs to treat respiratory tract infections
- Boosts the immune system
- Promotes brain and heart health
- Beneficial for diabetes or obesity
Red Dates
- Loaded with essential vitamins and minerals
- Helps with digestion and enhances nutrient absorption
- Boosts the immune system and energy levels
- Supports the liver by promoting protein synthesis
- Promotes blood replenishment and circulation with its rich iron content
- Improves sleep and calms the nerves
- Rick in antioxidants for youthful skin
Goji Berries
- Packed with vitamins and minerals
- Enhances the immune system
- Promotes eye health with its high content of antioxidants
- Aids liver health
- Promotes sleep and improves mental health
- Fights against cancer and slows tumor growth
- Improves skin health and reduces aging effects
- Helps stabilize blood glucose levels
Rock Sugar
- Rich in vitamins, minerals, and amino acids
- Treats cough and sore throat
- Promotes energy
- Helps in digestion
- Less sweet and low calories
- Enhances eye health
Tips For Making Snow Fungus Dessert Soup
There are a few ways to achieve the best results for your snow fungus dessert soup. Before making this sweet dessert, read these simple tips to help you throughout the recipe.
- Add extra flavor and texture with optional ingredients such as pear, longan, papaya, apple, or black date.
- Use chopsticks for stirring to mix evenly. Continuous stirring with chopsticks is important to achieve a silky and gelatinous texture.
- Achieve the soft and syrupy texture by simmering it long enough. Keep simmering on low heat until you have your desired consistency.
- Make sure goji berries are cooked last and not at the beginning. If cooked first, the sour taste may become stronger.
- Use pitted or seedless red dates to make it easier to eat. Either way, red dates with seeds will still have the same taste as seedless ones.
Prepare These Items To Make Snow Fungus Dessert Soup
Ready to make snow fungus dessert soup? Get these items ready to get started. The items are just your common kitchenware. As for the ingredients, all are pretty basic and are store-bought, but you may have to go to a special store or order online to buy the snow fungus.
Kitchenware
- Bowl for soaking
- Cooking pot for boiling
- Scissors for cutting (a knife can also be used)
- Chopsticks for stirring
Ingredients
- A bowl of hot water (enough to submerge the snow fungus)
- 1 dried snow fungus
- 1 tsp starch (optional)
- 500ml water
- 10 pieces red dates
- 40g rock sugar
- 15g goji berries
Steps To Make Snow Fungus Dessert Soup
After gathering your kitchenware and ingredients, follow these steps carefully to ensure the success of your sweet snow fungus dessert soup.
In a heat-resistant bowl, add 1 dried snow fungus, 1 tsp starch, and enough hot water to soak the dried snow fungus for 1 hour.
Once the snow fungus is soft to the touch, clean it by rinsing it thoroughly while making sure dirt is removed.
Let it dry and drain excess water in a strainer.
When the snow fungus is cool to touch, use scissors to cut it into small pieces. The snow fungus has a hard yellow-orange center that needs to be cut off and discarded. You will only cook the parts outside the yellow-orange center.
Get a cooking pot and add the small pieces of snow fungus and 500ml water.
Bring the water to a boil. As soon as it boils, stir the soup with chopsticks for 15 seconds in a rapid circular motion. This step is essential in achieving the syrupy gelatinous texture.
Next, add 10 red dates and 40g of rock sugar.
Cover the pot with a lid and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, check the consistency of the soup and make sure the ingredients have softened.
When you have achieved your desired consistency, add 15g goji berries and simmer for about 5 minutes or less. Remember, do not cook goji berries long or else you will have a tart or sour soup instead of sweet.
Serve and enjoy while fresh and hot. Alternatively, keep it in the fridge and serve it cold.
How To Store Snow Fungus Dessert Soup
Store in an airtight container to maintain quality and prevent contamination from other food in the fridge. Keep it in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Should you serve it warm, reheat it in a pot on low heat until you get the desired temperature and texture.
How To Make Snow Fungus Dessert Soup
Equipment
- Bowl for soaking
- Cooking pot for boiling
- Scissors for cutting (a knife can also be used)
- Chopsticks for stirring
Ingredients
- A bowl of hot water enough to submerge the snow fungus
- 1 dried snow fungus
- 1 tsp starch optional
- 500 ml water
- 10 pieces red dates
- 40 g rock sugar
- 15 g goji berries
Instructions
- In a heat-resistant bowl, add 1 dried snow fungus, 1 tsp starch, and enough hot water to soak the dried snow fungus for 1 hour.
- Once the snow fungus is soft to the touch, clean it by rinsing it thoroughly while making sure dirt is removed.
- Let it dry and drain excess water in a strainer.
- When the snow fungus is cool to touch, use scissors to cut it into small pieces. The snow fungus has a hard yellow-orange center that needs to be cut off and discarded. You will only cook the parts outside the yellow-orange center.
- Get a cooking pot and add the small pieces of snow fungus and 500ml water.
- Bring the water to a boil.
- As soon as it boils, stir the soup with chopsticks for 15 seconds in a rapid circular motion. This step is essential in achieving the syrupy gelatinous texture.
- Next, add 10 red dates and 40g of rock sugar.
- Cover the pot with a lid and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, check the consistency of the soup and make sure the ingredients have softened.
- When you have achieved your desired consistency, add 15g goji berries and simmer for about 5 minutes or less. Remember, do not cook goji berries long or else you will have a tart or sour soup instead of sweet.
- Serve and enjoy while fresh and hot. Alternatively, keep it in the fridge and serve it cold.
