Meet the soup that’s always on repeat in my home. As we age, we make less collagen, the protein behind plump, springy skin, so what we eat matters just as much as what we apply.
Slow-simmered snakehead fish releases protein and collagen into a milky, savoury broth, and fresh watercress adds vitamin K. It’s a TCM classic that’s deeply nourishing, gentle on the stomach and loved by the whole family, picky eaters included. Part of our Collagen Soup Series, skin care from the inside out.
Table of content
Ingredient & Benefit Breakdown
Snakehead Fish (生鱼)
A staple of Chinese home cooking, valued for its protein and collagen-rich bones. Simmered for hours, it gives the broth its milky colour and body.
In TCM, it’s traditionally used to nourish blood and yin.
Watercress (西洋菜)
Fresh, slightly peppery and rich in vitamin K, watercress balances the richness of the fish.
Traditionally considered cooling and moistening, it’s a classic pairing for soups like this.
Ginger, Tangerine Peel & Honey Dates
Ginger warms, tangerine peel (陈皮) aids digestion, and honey dates add a natural, gentle sweetness, so the broth tastes clean and savoury rather than fishy.
Apricot Kernels (南杏)
Added for their mellow, nutty fragrance. In TCM, they’re traditionally used to moisten.
Duck Gizzard & Lean Meat
They add depth and sweetness to the broth. Duck gizzard is traditionally used to support digestion.
Together, the soup is traditionally used to support spleen qi, build blood and yin, and aid digestion.
20 mins
~3.5 hours
Apx. 6–8 bowls
Regulates menstruation
Collagen, protein & minerals
Ingredients
- 2 snakehead fish (生鱼), about 1,970g in total
- 6 slices ginger (about 43g)
- 250g lean pork
- 2g tangerine peel (陈皮)
- 4 honey dates (蜜枣)
- 70g duck gizzard (鸭肾)
- 23g sweet apricot kernels (南杏)
- 4,000ml water
- 1 bundle watercress (西洋菜), about 900g
For frying and seasoning
- 1½ tbsp oil
- 1½ tbsp Shaoxing wine
- Salt, to taste
Prep
- Ask your fishmonger to cut the fish in half.
- Wash the fish very well, pat dry and set aside.
- Blanch the lean meat, rinse and cut into 3 portions.
- Soak the tangerine peel until soft, then rinse.
- Rinse the duck gizzard and make a slight cut in each piece.
- Soak the watercress, rinse and remove the tough stems.
Method
- Heat the oil in a pan and fry the fish with the ginger until light golden brown. Don’t let it burn, or the soup will turn bitter.
- While the fish fries, add the water, lean meat, tangerine peel, honey dates, duck gizzard and apricot kernels to your largest stock pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Transfer the fried fish to the pot (a soup net keeps the bones out of the broth) and add the Shaoxing wine.
- Reduce to a low simmer for 2½ hours.
- Add the watercress and simmer for another 30 minutes, turning the heat to high for the last 10. Skip this step if you’d rather add fresh watercress with each serving.
- Turn off the heat, rest for 10 minutes and skim off any excess oil. Season with salt, and you’re done.
Sip Your Collagen
Collagen starts to slip as we age, and no single bowl changes that overnight. But a pot of this soup, simmered slowly and sipped often, is one of the kindest ways to give your body the building blocks to rebuild collagen from the inside out. Pair it with a gentle routine on the outside, and you’re caring for plump, bouncy skin from both sides.
Make a big batch, portion it out, and you’ve got a week of collagen soup ready to heat and sip. Share a bowl with the people you love, too.
With love,
Rachel & Alia
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