Fresh Yam, Chestnut and Black Bean Pork Shin Soup

Why people make this soup

Heel pain is something many people quietly live with — it often comes on gradually, sometimes without any obvious injury, and tends to get worse over time. In Chinese medicine, chronic heel and foot pain is often linked to the concept of liver and kidney deficiency, particularly in middle-aged and older adults. The kidneys in this framework are associated with the health of bones and connective tissue, so nourishing the kidney is seen as an important part of supporting the body’s structural resilience. This soup brings together three key food-therapy ingredients — fresh yam, chestnuts and black soybeans — all traditionally regarded as kidney-tonifying foods, to make a warm, flavoursome soup that the whole household can enjoy.

Method

1. Blanch the pork shin in boiling water for 3–5 minutes, then rinse and set aside.
2. Peel and wash the fresh yam; cut into thick sections. Prepare this just before cooking, or keep submerged in water to prevent browning.
3. Remove the shell and inner skin from the chestnuts.
4. Rinse and soak the green-kernel black soybeans for at least 30 minutes.
5. Pit the red dates.
6. Place all ingredients into a pot with 2.4 L of water.
7. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a medium-low simmer for 1.5 hours until the liquid reduces to about 1.2–1.5 L.
8. Serve hot — eat both the soup and the solid ingredients.

Nourilo’s Tips

This soup is suitable for the whole family, including children. For those managing heel pain, Nourilo stresses consistency: food therapy builds up over time, so aim for several servings per week rather than a single pot. If you cannot find fresh yam, dried yam (gan huai shan, about 40 g / 38 g) works as a substitute. If green-kernel black soybeans are hard to find, regular yellow soybeans make a reasonable alternative. Chestnuts can be replaced with walnuts (he tao rou) to add an extra kidney-tonifying element, as Nourilo has confirmed in follow-up questions. This soup can also be made with pork tail bones (zhu wei gu) for a richer, slightly sweeter broth.