Dried Bean Curd, Barley with Gingko Nuts Dessert Soup (腐竹薏米白果糖水)

“Tons of good reasons for having this great dessert soup all the time!”

I cooked this dessert umpteen times and still cook it always, for my family and colleagues! Why so often? Because this dessert benefits our health and it’s tasty. Most Cantonese believed that having dessert soup daily helps to rejuvenate skin and promote better complexion. This dried bean curd, barley with gingko nuts sweet soup offers even greater health benefits. Not only the dried bean curd helps to lower cholesterol level and for better skin, barley does help to reduce risk of getting cancer, also lower cholesterol and alleviate water retention in body. Gingko nut helps to improve female genital issues such as minor vaginal discharge problem.

Made it a little different, I added sago. Not getting much from it, except for carbohydrate and little protein and minerals. I like its chewy texture and crystal-like appearance in my soup (smiling)!

There were a few times I added unsweetened soy milk in this sweet soup (lessen the amount of water by half and replaced with soy milk). It was nice, the thick and ‘milky taste” added pleasure to the palate!

This sweet soup counts 220 kcal for a large portion.

Ingredients
½ cup of pearl barley (about 150 gram)
1 packet of vacuum-packed (shelled) gingko nuts (about 35 – 40 softened nuts)
1 large sheets of dried bean curd skin (premium grade specially for dessert)
½ cup of small white sago (about 50 gram)
2 large eggs
1 large rock sugar (add more to your preference)
1 large pot of water, 70% filled (about 2000ml)

Method
1) Briefly wash pearl barley. Put barley into a pot of water and bring to a boil over high heat.

2) Add gingko nuts, sago and rock sugar. Bring down heat to low fire, simmer for 30 min, place and tilt the lid on the pot.

3) Break up dried bean curd into smaller pieces. Rinsed before adding to the soup. Need not to steep dried bean curd. Simmer for another 10 min, or until dried bean curd completely soften.

4) Break eggs in a bowl, briefly beat with serving fork (beat no more than 4 strokes). Slowly swirl eggs into the soup (in few stages). Stir constantly till egg-drop forms strips. Heat off. Serve warm.

Usually, only egg white will be used in this dessert. However, I do not wish to waste it. So, I used whole egg since I did not see any difference in taste with or without yolk. However, if for health concern, eliminate or include only 1 yolk instead.

Tips: Do not beat the egg completely as the presence of both white and yellow (yolk) egg-drop in your soup made it more appealing.
*If you wish to try the soy milk version, use half the recommended amount of water to boil ingredients, and then add soy milk only after adding in dried bean curd.
*Vacuum-packed gingko nuts are available in most supermarket. If unable to get, try canned gingko nuts. Both are ready shelled types.