Green Papaya, Red-Skin Peanut, Dried Fig, Pork Shin & Dried Scallop Soup

Why people make this soup

Papaya comes in two distinct forms: the firm, pale-green unripe fruit used in savoury cooking, and the golden-orange ripe fruit enjoyed fresh or in dessert soups. They look like the same fruit, but in the kitchen they do very different things. Ripe papaya is sweet and gentle — wonderful to eat fresh or to use in a dessert soup. Green papaya is firmer, less sweet, and packed with natural enzymes that ripe papaya does not have in the same concentration. It is these enzymes that have made green papaya one of the best-known ingredients in Chinese (and indeed Southeast Asian) lactation cooking. Combined with red-skin peanuts and dried figs — both traditionally associated with milk production — and given body by pork shin and dried scallop, this soup is a warm, nourishing, and genuinely practical choice for a new mother who wants to build her milk supply.

Method

1. Peel the green papaya, cut it in half, scoop out all the seeds, and cut the flesh into large chunks.
2. Rinse the red-skin peanuts; keep the red skin on as it holds the blood-nourishing properties.
3. Halve the dried figs.
4. Cut the pork shin into large pieces, then blanch in boiling water for 1–2 minutes. Drain and rinse.
5. Rinse the dried scallops and soak briefly.
6. Place all ingredients into a large pot. Add 2.4 L of cold water.
7. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently for 1 hour until liquid reduces to 1.2 L.
8. Serve hot; eat the soup together with the ingredients.

Nourilo’s Tips

When choosing green papaya, look for the firmer, deeper-green fruits with little to no yellow — these have the highest enzyme content and the best lactation-supporting effect. Available at Chinese or Asian grocers, or online. For soup-making, “male” papayas (those with fewer seeds when cut open) are generally preferred as they have cleaner flesh and a neater appearance in the bowl. Ripe papaya is wonderful in dessert soups (such as the snow fungus and almond sweet soup in another recipe), but for lactation support, always reach for the unripe green version.