Apple and Mixed-Vegetable Soup

Why people make this soup

Apples are an alkaline fruit, rich in potassium and free of purines, which makes them a friendly food for people prone to gout — traditionally said to help reduce uric-acid build-up and support its clearance. Simmered with carrot, celery, wood-ear and water chestnut, this clean, sweet pot is also associated with calming the liver and supporting healthy blood pressure and lipids — handy for gout-prone folks who also watch their cholesterol or pressure.