Chinese cuisine may be the real soul food in its "harmony in the body and at the dinner table" philosophy. The Taoist concept of yin and yang, or equal and opposite forces is used in Chinese cooking to create balance in color, texture and flavor. Traditional Chinese soybean soup is thought to achieve this balance by detoxifying the body at the end of a meal, thus restoring harmony to body systems.
Soybeans
The addition of commercial soy milk to Chinese soups is a Western modernism that strays significantly from original recipes. Traditional Chinese cooking uses fermented soybeans, salt and water to make a paste that it used as a base ingredient in soy soups and cuisine. The roughly 29g of protein found in a cup of soybeans can work to lower the risk of heart disease and stroke and prevent breast and prostate cancer, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.
Salty and Sweet
The combination of salty and sweet flavors is a cornerstone in the yin and yang tao philosophy in Chinese culture. Yin and yang are seen as complimentary forces in cooking that balance color, textures and flavors. An article published at iVillage.com, Chinese cuisine author Grace Young says that Chinese soups seek to harmonize an overabundance of yang, or fried and processed foods. A serving of Chinese soybean soup generally contains about a 1,000mg of sodium in the form of soy sauce and is topped with pieces of a sweet cruller--a sugary carbohydrate that creates short bursts of energy.
Rice Vinegar
Traditional Chinese cooking often uses red yeast rice for flavor and as a digestion aid. The fermentation process of red rice produces three variations of vinegar-- red, white and black-- all of which are milder versions of Western vinegars. Keeping pace with the Chinese yin and yang philosophy, Chinese soybean soup typically contains a tbsp. of the sweet and sour flavor combination found in red rice vinegar. The nutritional value of rice vinegar is little more than 60mg of sodium and 1g of energy-producing carbohydrates.
Pickled Mustard Greens
Mustard greens are used as texture and flavor enhancers in traditional Chinese cooking and create part of the stew-like quality of Chinese soybean soup. Traditional Chinese cooking usually embodies fresh and organically grown greens which are often pickled by layering mustard leaves and salt in a glass jar, dousing with vinegar and allowing the seasoned mixture to ferment. Mustard greens aid in blood circulation and coagulation via over 200mcg of vitamin K per 1/2 cup.
Dried Shrimp or Pork
Dried seafood and meat are the remaining ingredients used for flavor and texture in Chinese soybean soup. In the old days, fresh shrimp or pork would be placed on ice, washed and then boiled in salt water before being laid out to dry. The result would be bite-sized meat with congealed flavors that expand. The approximated 3 oz of dried shrimp and pork contained in a serving of Chinese soybean soup has roughly 17g of protein and is laden with the disease-fighting substances found in 32mcg of the mineral selenium.
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