Green Papaya, Black-Eyed Pea, Peanut and Bean-Curd Stick Soup

Why people make this soup

A vegetarian friend was worried she would not produce enough milk for her baby. Honestly, as long as a nursing mother eats a balanced, nourishing diet, breastfeeding usually goes fine. Green papaya is traditionally valued for gently encouraging milk flow, and when you simmer it with black-eyed peas, peanuts, shiitake and bean-curd sticks — all rich, nourishing foods with a little milk-supporting reputation of their own — you get a tasty pot that new mothers tend to love.