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This nutritious Chinese medicinal soup is rich in collagen and antioxidants, making it a staple in many households.

Growing up, my mom often made snow fungus soup for dessert, insisting it would make my skin plump and glowy. In traditional Chinese medicine, snow fungus is believed to help retain moisture, support elasticity, and promote collagen production, and seeing my mom’s radiant skin, I never really questioned her - I simply ate the soup as she encouraged me to. I was put off by snow fungus soup and its appearance, texture, and name the first time I tried it, but after my first bite, I was pleasantly surprised. It was light, subtly sweet, and incredibly comforting. Before long, it became a dessert I looked forward to, and one I always found myself craving more of.

Snow fungus is an edible mushroom with a pale white, ruffled appearance. It has a very mild flavor, so it’s often seasoned generously, pickled, or used in desserts such as sweet soups. It is typically sold dried and needs to be soaked to rehydrate before cooking. When cooked briefly, it has a slightly crunchy texture, but it becomes softer and more gelatinous the longer it is simmered.

This snow fungus soup contains very little added sugar, with most of its sweetness coming naturally from apples, dates, and goji berries, all of which offer a variety of nutritional benefits. You can even skip the added sugar altogether, though I find that a couple of tablespoons enhance the overall flavor. The snow fungus is complemented by a few additional ingredients that help boost both the soup’s nutritional value and its flavor.

Apple: The majority of the soup is sweetened by apple and its natural flavors. Apples are rich in antioxidants, fiber, and vitamin C.

Red dates (jujube): Red dates add a caramelized sweetness to the soup and are also rich in antioxidants, fiber, B vitamins.

Lotus seeds: Lotus seeds add texture contrast to the soup because all the other ingredients are soft. Lotus seeds are rich in antioxidants and iron and magnesium.

Goji berries: Goji berries add tartness to the soup and are rich in antioxidants and Vitamin C.

The ingredients used in this soup can typically all be found in an East Asian grocery store such as 99 Ranch or Chinese medicinal stores. If you do not have access to such stores, you can also purchase the ingredients online.