夏秋皆宜｜老黃瓜赤小豆豬骨湯 Old cucumber, rice bean, and pork bone soup
老黃瓜即是長得過熟都沒有摘下的青瓜，表皮變黃變皺，雖然外表看來並不吸引，但卻十分適合夏秋時煲湯飲用。
老黃瓜味甘性微涼，具有清熱、解毒、降火、利尿、去水腫等作用，是夏日湯水的上佳材料。而去到秋天，都市人亦容易有痰濕、水腫、紅疹、皮膚痕癢、大便黏膩、眼屎多等症狀，亦可以用老黃瓜煲湯飲用。老黃瓜瓜皮愈皺愈好，煲湯時不用去皮，洗乾淨挖囊、切塊即可。
此湯亦用上赤小豆和扁豆。赤小豆性平、味甘酸，入心、小腸經，能利水除濕、和血排膿、消腫解毒。扁豆性微溫、味甘；入脾、胃經，有健脾、化濕、消暑的作用。
食材
- 老黃瓜 Old cucumber 1條/pc
- 紅蘿蔔 Carrot 1個/pc
- 赤小豆Rice bean 1両/tael
- 扁豆 White hyacinth bean 1両/tael
- 蜜棗 Candied date 1粒/pc
- 陳皮 Dried tangerine peel 1角/ ⅓pc
- 豬骨 Pork bone 300克/g
- 水 Water 2公升/Liter
-
1
豬骨汆水洗淨 Boil pork bones with cold water until boiled then rinse.
-
2
老黃瓜洗淨 Wash the old cucumber.
-
3
去囊切大件 Remove the seeds of old cucumber then cut it into large pieces.
-
4
紅蘿蔔洗淨 Wash carrot.
-
5
去皮切大件 Peel and cut into large pieces.
-
6
赤小豆、扁豆、蜜棗洗淨 Rinse rice bean, white hyacinth bean and candied date.
-
7
浸水30分鐘 Soak them in water for 30 minutes
-
8
陳皮浸軟去囊 Soak dried tangerine peel until it softens, and remove the white pith.
-
9
將老黃瓜、紅蘿蔔、赤小豆、扁豆、蜜棗及陳皮，放入煲內 Put the old cucumber, carrot, red beans, green beans, Chinese date, and dried tangerine peel into a pot.
-
10
加水一同煲滾 Add water and bring it to a boil.
-
11
滾起後放入豬骨 Add the pork bones and bring it to a boil again.
-
12
滾起後轉中小火煲2小時 Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 2 hours.
-
13
酌量加鹽調味 Add salt to taste.
