Celery, Tomato, Carrot and Chili Soup

Why people make this soup

After the festive season, most of us find a few extra pounds have crept on. Cooking with vegetables is a light, low-calorie approach that Chinese food therapy has long favored for weight management. The clever twist in this recipe is the addition of fresh ginger and red chili — they take the edge off the cooling nature of raw vegetables, making the soup suitable even for those who usually feel cold easily. The result is a soup that is fragrant, mildly spicy, and genuinely pleasant to eat.

Method

1. Wash and cut the celery into sections; peel and cut the tomatoes and carrot into chunks; deseed the chili and slice it.
2. Slice the lean pork into thick pieces and blanch briefly in boiling water, then drain.
3. Place all ingredients into a pot with 1.8 L of water.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a medium simmer for about 1 hour, until the liquid reduces to about 0.9–1.2 L.
5. Serve the soup together with the vegetables and pork.

Nourilo’s Tips

This soup can support healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and is also helpful for poor appetite and a heavy, sluggish feeling in the body. If chili is too spicy for you, just replace it with a little more fresh ginger. You can also add green or red carrot for variety — both work well, though Nourilo notes that combining green and red carrot may slightly affect the absorption of vitamin C from each, so eating them together in moderation is perfectly fine.