菠菜猪肝汤 is the soup Chinese grandmothers prescribe for anyone who looks tired: pork liver sliced thin, marinated in wine and starch, blanched for seconds, and finished in a clear gingery broth with spinach. It is a 20-minute soup from a xiachufang home cook, and it lives or dies on two details — the liver is velveted before it hits the water, and both the spinach and the liver are blanched separately so the broth stays clean.
The technique is worth learning even if you never make this exact soup. Slicing liver thin and marinating it in Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, soy, salt, and white pepper is the same velveting method used for stir-fried beef and pork: the starch forms a protective layer, so the liver poaches into something silky rather than dry and grainy. The cook’s warning is precise — the liver should turn pale and just opaque, and the moment it does, it is done.
What Is 菠菜猪肝汤 (Spinach Pork Liver Soup)?
菠菜猪肝汤 is a light Chinese soup of thinly sliced pork liver and spinach in a ginger-scented broth. It is a home remedy as much as a recipe — liver is prized in Chinese cooking for its iron and its “blood-nourishing” properties (补血), and spinach is the classic pairing.
It is also a fast soup, not a long-simmered one. There is no stock-making step here: water, ginger, and scallion come to a boil, the blanched spinach and liver go in, and the pot comes off the heat as soon as it returns to a boil. Seasoning — salt, a little chicken bouillon, a few drops of sesame oil — goes in at the very end so nothing overcooks.
If you like clean, quick Chinese soups, my tomato egg drop soup is the other bowl I make on repeat.
1Herbal Pork Rib Soup (玉竹石斛麦冬排骨汤): Autumn NourishCantonese autumn herbal soup: pork ribs simmered with jade bamboo, dendrobium, and ophiopogon for a clean, sweet, nourishing broth.Check out this recipe
The two-blanch method is what keeps this soup tasting clean. Boiling the spinach first removes its oxalic acid and its raw green edge; boiling the liver in the same water (or fresh water) sets the surface starch and washes away the blood that would otherwise cloud the broth. Only then do both go into the fresh, gingery water that becomes the soup.
Why This Recipe Works
- Velveting keeps the liver tender. Cornstarch, wine, soy, and pepper form a protective coating, so the liver poaches rather than boils dry.
- Thin slices cook in seconds. The cook notes the tip of the liver is the most tender part — slice it thin and it never has time to toughen.
- Blanching the spinach removes oxalic acid. Two minutes in boiling water tames its astringency and keeps the broth clear.
- Separate blanching keeps the broth clean. Blood and starch go down the drain with the blanching water, not into your soup.
- Ginger and sesame oil finish it. A few slices of ginger and a drizzle of sesame oil give a plain water base real fragrance.
Equipment Needed
- Pot for blanching
- Second pot or clean pot for the soup
- Bowl for marinating the liver
- Sharp knife
Ingredients
- 250 g (9 oz) pork liver
- 1 bunch spinach
- Ginger and scallion
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- Salt and white pepper
- Chicken bouillon, to taste
- Sesame oil, a few drops
Ingredient Notes
Pork liver. Buy it fresh and use it the same day if you can. Slice it thin — the cook points out that the tapered “tip” of the liver is the most tender portion.
Spinach. Regular bunch spinach works; the blanching step matters more than the variety.
White pepper. It is the right pepper here — it lifts the liver without the smoky edge of black pepper.
Chicken bouillon. Optional but common in home Chinese soups; a pinch of salt alone also works.
Prep & Mise en Place
Rinse the liver well and slice it thin. Marinate with Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, light soy, salt, and white pepper for 10 minutes. Wash the spinach and cut it into short lengths. Slice the ginger and cut the scallion. Bring a pot of water to a boil for the blanching steps.
Cooking Process
Step 1 — Clean the Liver
Rinse the pork liver thoroughly under cold running water.
Step 2 — Wash the Spinach
Wash the spinach well, paying attention to the stems where grit collects.
Step 3 — Slice the Liver Thin
Slice the liver into thin pieces — slightly thinner than you think you need. The tip end is the most tender.
Step 4 — Marinate 10 Minutes
Add Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, light soy, salt, and white pepper to the liver and mix well. Let it sit 10 minutes.
Step 5 — Cut the Spinach
Cut the spinach into short segments.
Step 6 — Blanch the Spinach 2 Minutes
Blanch the spinach in boiling water for about 2 minutes, then lift it out.
Step 7 — Blanch the Liver Until Just Pale
Using the same water, blanch the liver until it turns pale and opaque — seconds, not minutes. Overcooked liver turns tough and grainy.
Step 8 — Fresh Water, Ginger, Then Both
Start fresh water with ginger and scallion and bring it to a boil. Add the blanched spinach and liver, and turn off the heat as soon as the water returns to a boil. Season with salt, a pinch of chicken bouillon, and a few drops of sesame oil.
Slice the liver thin and treat it like shrimp: it is done the moment it loses its pink. Every extra minute in hot water tightens the protein and squeezes out moisture, which is exactly how liver gets its bad reputation. Velveting buys you a little insurance, but timing is still the whole game.
Step 9 — Serve
Serve hot — a light, clean bowl the cook describes as nourishing and good for the eyes.
Common Mistakes When Making Pork Liver Soup
1. The liver is dry and grainy. Cause: overcooking. Fix: blanch only until pale, then off the heat as soon as the soup returns to a boil.
2. The broth is cloudy and smells strong. Cause: skipping the blanch. Fix: blanch the liver separately and discard that water.
3. The spinach tastes astringent. Cause: raw or barely cooked spinach. Fix: blanch it 2 minutes to remove oxalic acid.
4. The soup tastes flat. Cause: no ginger or sesame oil. Fix: both are essential to a plain-water broth.
5. The liver slices fall apart. Cause: sliced too thick or marinated too long. Fix: slice thin, marinate 10 minutes, and handle gently.
Variations
With goji berries. Add a spoonful in the last minute for sweetness, a common pairing with liver.
Egg-drop version. Swirl in a beaten egg at the end, like my tomato egg drop soup.
Pork rib base. Use a light pork rib broth instead of water, as in my lotus root and pork rib soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the liver need to be soaked? Rinsing well is enough here; the blanch removes the rest. Some cooks soak it in milk or water for 30 minutes to milden the flavor.
How do I know the liver is cooked? It turns pale and opaque and firms slightly. Cut a slice open — no pink in the center.
Can I use other greens? Yes — spinach is traditional, but baby bok choy or amaranth work.
Is this soup good for you? It is high in iron and vitamin A from the liver. If you are pregnant or watching vitamin A intake, follow your doctor’s guidance.
Can I make it ahead? The components can be prepped ahead, but the soup is best made and eaten fresh.
How to Serve
Serve the soup as the light course of a Chinese meal, with rice and a vegetable stir-fry. It pairs well with yard-long beans with minced pork and radish pork rib soup, mushroom scrambled eggs, pork and enoki stir-fry, and peas with minced pork for a simple three-dish dinner.
Storage & Reheat
Refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat gently — bring it just to a simmer and no further, or the liver will toughen. Do not freeze; the texture suffers badly.
Allergen Notice
Contains soy and wheat (soy sauce). Check the bouillon for allergens if using.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
About the Author & Recipe Development
I am Lin, and I grew up in my parents’ restaurant kitchen in Chengdu, where a bowl of liver soup was what you were given when you had been studying too late or looked pale. My mother’s rule was the same as this cook’s: blanch the liver, then barely cook it. I tested this recipe twice, once with a heavy hand on the timing and once following her “pale and done” instinct, and the difference was night and day — the second bowl was silky and sweet, the first was chalky. If you have only ever had tough liver, this is the recipe to change your mind.
Authoritative References
USDA Safe Temperature Chart for cooking pork and organ meats safely, and FDA cold storage guidance.
Spinach Pork Liver Soup (菠菜猪肝汤): Iron-Rich 20-Minute Soup
Equipment
- Pot
- Bowl for marinating
- Sharp Knife
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 8.8 oz pork liver 250 g, fresh
- 1 bunch spinach
- 1 thumb ginger, sliced
- 2 scallions
- 1 tbsp cornstarch for the marinade
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.25 tsp white pepper
- 0.5 tsp chicken bouillon optional
- 0.5 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
- Rinse the pork liver well under cold water.
- Wash the spinach thoroughly.
- Slice the liver thinly, keeping the tender tip pieces separate.
- Marinate the liver with wine, cornstarch, soy, salt, and white pepper for 10 minutes.
- Cut the spinach into short segments.
- Blanch the spinach in boiling water for 2 minutes.
- Blanch the liver in the same water just until pale and opaque; do not overcook.
- Bring fresh water with ginger and scallion to a boil, add the spinach and liver, and turn off the heat when it returns to a boil. Season with salt, bouillon, and sesame oil.
- Serve hot.
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