Rainbow Vegetable Soup

Why people make this soup

Research from nutritionists tells us that different-coloured vegetables deliver different phytonutrients — which is exactly what the Cantonese concept of colour-balanced cooking has practised for centuries. During the fifth wave of the COVID pandemic, Nourilo was thinking about what a simple, wholesome, accessible soup could look like — one that needed no Chinese medicine shop trip, no special herbs, just fresh vegetables from any market. The answer was a “rainbow” approach: one ingredient from each colour family, simmered together into a clear, sweet-tasting broth. The soup is purely plant-based, gentle enough for children and elderly alike, and according to traditional food therapy, the combination of root vegetables and mushrooms helps balance the body’s internal environment and gives immune cells the raw materials they need to function well.

Method

1. Peel and cube the fresh yam, green radish, and beetroot into similar-sized pieces.
2. Remove the husks from the corn and cut into chunks.
3. Soak the dried black wood ear fungus in cold water until soft (about 20 minutes), then remove the tough stem and cut into smaller pieces.
4. Place all ingredients in a soup pot with 2.4 L of water.
5. Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium heat for 1.5 hours until the soup is fragrant and the vegetables are tender.
6. Serve the soup and eat the vegetables alongside.

Nourilo’s Tips

This soup is naturally balanced — not too cooling, not too warming — and the whole family can enjoy it anytime. If the deep red colour from the beetroot is not to everyone’s taste, simply swap it for carrot, and replace the black wood ear with shiitake mushroom for a lighter-coloured soup. The principle is to keep a variety of colours — the nutritional diversity is what makes this soup so useful.