Jicama, Chayote and Carrot Vegetable Soup

Why people make this soup

In hot, humid weather, a vegetable soup often suits the body better than something heavy. This is especially true for people who eat out often, take in a lot of meat, and rarely cook vegetables at home. Jicama (sha ge, also known as liang shu) is a particularly useful ingredient in this context — its flesh is crisp, mildly sweet, and rich in dietary fiber, which supports gut motility. Traditionally, it is associated with clearing heat, supporting digestion, helping to reduce blood lipids, and even easing the effects of alcohol. Chayote and carrot add their own gentle sweetness to the broth, while figs contribute natural moistening properties. The cashew nuts play a practical nutritional role too: certain vitamins — A, D, E, and K — are fat-soluble, meaning the body absorbs them far more readily in the presence of a little fat. Adding a handful of cashews to an otherwise fat-free vegetable soup makes the whole thing more nutritionally complete.

Method

1. Peel jicama — the easiest method is to press a small knife into the top of the vegetable and peel the skin away in strips, rather than using a vegetable peeler.
2. Peel chayote and carrot and cut into chunks. Halve the figs.
3. Soak and rinse cashews.
4. Combine all ingredients in a pot with about 2.1 L of water. Bring to a boil.
5. Lower heat and simmer for 1 hour until liquid reduces to approximately 1.2 L.
6. Serve warm; eat both the soup and the solids.

Nourilo’s Tips

When peeling jicama, use a small knife pressed against the top of the vegetable and pull the skin away in strips — it comes off more cleanly and with less waste than a peeler.

Adding cashew nuts — or any nut — to a vegetable soup is a practical trick: the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) in the vegetables can only be absorbed properly with a little fat present. Without any fat in the meal, much of the nutritional value of the vegetables goes to waste.

If you have a cashew allergy, any other nut or legume works — chestnuts, soybeans, peanuts, or walnuts.