Eyebrow Bean, Winter Melon & Chicken Feet Soup

Why people make this soup

If you spend long hours sitting at a desk or standing at work, you may notice your ankles and feet puffing up by evening. This is common and usually due to fluid pooling in the lower limbs rather than anything serious. That said, Nourilo always recommends a simple check-up to rule out heart, kidney, or other causes before relying on food therapy alone. For everyday, constitution-related puffiness, this hearty soup has been a go-to in Cantonese households for generations. The combination of eyebrow beans, peanuts, winter melon, and collagen-rich chicken feet is believed to support the spleen, encourage gentle fluid drainage, and nourish without being too rich.

Method

1. Soak the eyebrow beans and raw peanuts in cold water for about 30 minutes. Drain.
2. Wash the winter melon thoroughly, keeping the skin on. Cut into large chunks.
3. Remove the nails from the chicken feet. Blanch in a pot of boiling water for 2–3 minutes, then drain and rinse. (This step removes impurities and any unpleasant flavour.)
4. Place all ingredients into a soup pot. Add 1.8–2.1 L of water and bring to a boil over high heat.
5. Reduce heat and simmer for about 1.5 hours, until the soup reduces to approximately 1.2 L.
6. Serve the soup and all the solid ingredients together — eat the beans, peanuts, and winter melon as well as drinking the broth.

Nourilo’s Tips

This soup is genuinely nutritious for the whole family. Pregnant women can enjoy it regularly, and it works well as an everyday household soup rather than something reserved for when someone is unwell. You can add a cob of corn for sweetness and extra fibre — corn with the silk included also adds a mild diuretic effect.