Ban Yue Chen Jiang (Half-Moon Sinking in the River)
A celebrated vegetarian soup from Nanputuo Temple in Xiamen. The clear golden broth features gluten pieces shaped like half-moons, replete with angelica herb aroma. Delicately nourishing and poetic.
Ingredients
9 items- dried shiitake mushrooms 5
- winter bamboo shoots 100 g
- angelica slices (dang gui) 2 slices
- fried gluten puffs 200 g
- vegetable broth or water 500 ml
- ginger 3 slices
- goji berries 10
- salt 1 tsp
- white pepper a pinch
Nutrition
Steps （7 steps）
Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water for about 1 hour until fully reconstituted. Squeeze dry, remove stems, and slice thinly. Rinse the angelica slices and set aside.
Blanch the gluten puffs in boiling water for a quick moment to remove excess oil. Drain and halve each piece into two half-moon shapes. Set aside.
In a pot, combine vegetable broth, ginger slices, and angelica slices. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low and simmer for 10 minutes until the broth takes on color and the angelica aroma infuses.
Add the sliced shiitake and winter bamboo shoots. Turn the heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes, until the mushrooms are fragrant and the bamboo shoots are tender.
Add the gluten puff pieces. Continue to cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the puffs have softened and absorbed the broth.
Add goji berries, salt, and a pinch of white pepper. Stir and cook for another minute. Taste and adjust seasoning; the broth should be clear and delicately sweet from the angelica.
Ladle the soup into a large bowl. The gluten pieces will float on the surface, resembling half-moons. Garnish with a few coriander leaves and serve hot.
Tips
For best results, use gluten puffs that are fresh. Angelica slices should not be boiled too long as they may become bitter. For a richer broth, simmer bean sprouts and mushroom stems to make homemade vegetable stock.
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