Soups

Chayote, Lotus Seed and Lily Bulb Pork Soup

traditionally used to nourish and support restful sleep and emotional calm

In short: Chayote, Lotus Seed and Lily Bulb Pork Soup is a soup that traditionally used to nourish and support restful sleep and emotional calm. It is most often made for sleep & calm, everyday balance. Total time about 1 hr 35 min. Key ingredients: chayote, lotus seeds, lily bulb, pork shank.

Prep
20 min
Cook
1 hr 15 min
Total
1 hr 35 min
Makes
0.9–1.2 L
Chayote, Lotus Seed and Lily Bulb Pork Soup

Why people make this soup

Chayote is one of Nourilo’s favourite summer vegetables — mild, hydrating, and versatile. The younger ones can be stir-fried, while older, firmer chayotes are ideal for slow-cooked soups. When fresh lotus seeds and fresh lily bulbs are in season together, simmering them with chayote and a piece of pork shin makes a soup that is light and not greasy at all — refreshing rather than heavy — and traditionally valued for clearing what Chinese food therapy calls “liver heat,” calming an unsettled mood, and settling the mind before sleep. It suits anyone who tends toward bloating, restless sleep, or the kind of low-grade irritability that can build up in warm weather.

What studies say about the key ingredients

Traditional use is not the same as clinical proof. Here is the strongest human research we found for each ingredient, limitations included.

  • Lotus seeds · Randomized crossover trial, 10 participants · 2019
    Lotus seed meals had a low glycemic index (GI 21–51 across the lotus seed and adzuki bean meals), while several other starchy foods did not differ significantly from rice. Lotus seed's in vitro hydrolysis index was also lower than that of other test foods.Limitation: Only ten healthy participants and acute single-meal tests, so findings may not apply to people with diabetes or to long-term intake.PubMed 30875961
  • Ginger · Meta-analysis, 23 studies · 2022
    Overall, acute and delayed nausea and vomiting did not differ significantly between ginger and control groups. A subgroup taking 1 g/day or less for over four days had less acute vomiting (OR 0.30).Limitation: Clinical heterogeneity between trials required subgroup analyses, and the authors state that sufficiently large, high-quality RCTs are still needed.PubMed 36501010 · 3 more ginger studies

From the Nourilo Research Library. Findings come from specific doses, extracts and populations and may not apply to a home-cooked recipe.

Safety first — read before you cook

This is a traditional food, not a treatment. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before making it a regular part of your diet if you:

  • are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are cooking for a young child;
  • take regular medicines — especially blood thinners, blood-pressure, diabetes or immune-suppressing drugs;
  • have a kidney, liver or heart condition, or a known food allergy.

Stop eating it and seek advice if you notice an allergic reaction or feel unwell. Safety notes reviewed 8 October 2026 · How we write safety notes

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