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The Empress's Secret Beauty Soup

The Empress's Secret Beauty Soup

It is rumored that this soup was a favorite with a Chinese empress and the concubines in the Forbidden City.

Body+Soul, July/August 2005 http://www.marthastewart.com/130725/empresss-secret-beauty-soup
3.4
Rated
68100(5)5
  • Yield Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

    • 1/4 cup rolled oats
    • 1/4 cup wheat berries
    • 1/4 cup barley
    • 1/4 cup brown rice
    • 1/4 cup buckwheat kasha
    • 1 pound watermelon rind cut into 4-inch-long strips (about 3 cups of watermelon rind)
    • 7 1/2 cups spring water
    • 1/2 cup rock sugar broken into small pieces
    • 2 green tea bags

Directions

  1. In a large saucepan, combine the five grains, watermelon rind, and 6 cups of spring water. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low, and simmer until the liquid is reduced to 4 cups, about 50 minutes.
  2. In a small saucepan, combine the rock sugar, tea bags, and 1 1/2 cups of spring water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, then simmer for 2 minutes, then remove tea bags. Continue to simmer the mixture until the rock sugar dissolves.
  3. Discard rind. Ladle soup into serving bowls, flavor with sugar and green-tea mixture. Serve warm or cold.

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