Goji Berry, Carrot & Fresh Clam Soup

Why people make this soup

People managing diabetes often experience a gradual decline in eye health — dry, blurry eyes, and difficulty focusing. In Chinese food therapy, this is understood as the liver and kidneys struggling to nourish the eyes over time. Goji berries are perhaps the best-known traditional ingredient for eye support in Chinese medicine — they are rich in zeaxanthin and lutein, nutrients that modern nutrition science also associates with retinal health. Paired with carrots (rich in beta-carotene) and fresh clams (high in zinc, iron, and taurine), this is a soup that is both delicious and genuinely well-thought-out from a nutritional standpoint. It is equally useful for people whose eyes are simply tired from long hours at a computer — this kind of everyday visual fatigue also benefits from regular nourishment.

Method

1. Rinse the goji berries in cold water and soak briefly. Peel the carrot and cut into large chunks.
2. Prepare the clams: drop the live clams into a pot of boiling water and cook until the shells open — this takes about 1–2 minutes. Remove the clam meat from the shells as soon as they open. Discard any clams that do not open. Set the clam meat aside.
3. Place the clam meat, goji berries, carrot chunks, and ginger slices into a clean soup pot. Add 1.8 L of fresh water.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook for 1 hour.
5. Season lightly with salt if desired. Serve and drink the soup; also eat the carrot, goji berries, and clam meat.

Nourilo’s Tips

The key to this soup is freshness. Live clams dropped into boiling water will open almost immediately when ready — any that stay shut after cooking should be thrown away, as they are no longer fresh and can smell unpleasant. If fresh clams are unavailable where you live, dried clam meat works well (use about 75 g). Canned clams are not ideal. Frozen clam meat is acceptable as a last resort, though the flavour will not be as good. Flower clams (hua jia) are a slightly meatier and more expensive variety that can be used interchangeably.