Mung Bean, Coix Seed, Old Cucumber and Carrot Lean Pork Soup

Why people make this soup

As summer arrives and the heat builds, many people notice their skin flaring — breakouts, congested pores, that heavy feeling in the body. In Cantonese food therapy, these are signs of accumulated heat and dampness that need to be cleared from the inside out. Old (mature) yellow cucumber is a particularly good ingredient for this: as the cucumber ripens fully on the vine, it concentrates water and fibre that act as natural diuretics, and develops plant sterols that support cholesterol balance. Combined with mung beans — perhaps the most reliable heat-clearing legume in the Cantonese pantry — and raw coix seeds for dampness relief, this soup addresses several overlapping summer complaints at once, from sluggish skin to a heavy, bloated feeling.