Lotus Peanut Soup

Without pork ribs! Haha...

Ingredients (Serve 4-5)
- 400g - 450g (0.9lb - 1lb) Lotus (莲藕）

- 1 cup of raw peanuts (with skin)

- 2 dried honey dates

- 9-11 dried shitake mushroom (small - medium size)

- 5-7 red dates (optional)

- mushroom essence

Preparation:

1. Soak peanuts in hot water till water becomes room temperature (this soften the peanuts and can reduce cooking time)
2. Remove skin of lotus using a peeler. Slice cross-section of lotus into thin slices.
3. Soak dried shitake mushroom for at least 30min.
4. Wash honey dates (according to packaging instructions), use knife/ scissors to make slits on the dates so that they can "disintegrate" into the soup; or else it will remain as one big date, and the sweetness can't get into the soup.
5. Boil 5-5.5 rice bowls of water (you can add the water used to soak mushrm for richer flavor).
6. Once the water boils, add honey dates, red dates (optional), peanuts, lotus and mushroom.
7. Wait for the soup to boil again, add a little mushroom essence, then turn to small-medium fire to cook for 1 hour.
8. Just before turning off the fire, add salt/ soya sauce (if desire), white pepper, and a bit of sesame oil.

When sesame oil is added to soups and various stir-fry vegetable dishes, it adds rich flavor. However, sesame oil should only be added near the end of the cooking process, and not be subjected to high heat (e.g. deep-frying) or long cooking process.