Soups
Hairy Melon, Hyacinth Bean and Pan-Fried Small Sea Fish Soup
traditionally used to strengthen the spleen, support the kidneys, promote fluid drainage, and ease postpartum constipation
In short: Hairy Melon, Hyacinth Bean and Pan-Fried Small Sea Fish Soup is a soup that traditionally used to strengthen the spleen, support the kidneys, promote fluid drainage, and ease postpartum constipation. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, digestive wellness, cleansing & regularity. Total time about 1 hr 15 min. Key ingredients: ginger.
Why people make this soup
Small fresh sea fish — varieties like red grouper (hong shan), mullet, and similar small saltwater fish — make wonderfully sweet and flavoursome soups, particularly when pan-fried first until golden. Paired with hairy melon (jie gua) for its moistening, fluid-regulating properties, and hyacinth beans (mei dou) for spleen support, this becomes a light but genuinely nourishing everyday soup. Nourilo also recommends it for postpartum women who have become constipated from eating too many warming tonic foods — the hairy melon and beans help restore balance.
What studies say about the key ingredients
Traditional use is not the same as clinical proof. Here is the strongest human research we found for each ingredient, limitations included.
- Ginger
Overall, acute and delayed nausea and vomiting did not differ significantly between ginger and control groups. A subgroup taking 1 g/day or less for over four days had less acute vomiting (OR 0.30).Limitation: Clinical heterogeneity between trials required subgroup analyses, and the authors state that sufficiently large, high-quality RCTs are still needed.PubMed 36501010 · 3 more ginger studies
From the Nourilo Research Library. Findings come from specific doses, extracts and populations and may not apply to a home-cooked recipe.
Safety first — read before you cook
This is a traditional food, not a treatment. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before making it a regular part of your diet if you:
- are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are cooking for a young child;
- take regular medicines — especially blood thinners, blood-pressure, diabetes or immune-suppressing drugs;
- have a kidney, liver or heart condition, or a known food allergy.
Stop eating it and seek advice if you notice an allergic reaction or feel unwell. Safety notes reviewed 8 October 2026 · How we write safety notes
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