Luffa, Dried Daylily, Fig & Chicken Soup

Why people make this soup

Summer is luffa season. Nourilo once showed a friend how to rub fresh luffa on her cheeks — after a while the brownish patches faded noticeably and her skin softened. Beauty-minded folks can use luffa on the skin and in cooking; beyond brightening, it is traditionally valued to ease water retention, support antioxidant balance and protect the heart and blood vessels. This luffa, daylily, fig and chicken soup is traditionally made to clear heat, support the complexion, slow signs of aging, and help nursing mothers with their milk flow.

Method

1. Peel the luffa and cut into chunks.
2. Rinse and soak the daylily and peanuts; halve the figs.
3. Chop the chicken and blanch it.
4. Simmer everything in 2.1 L of water for 1 hour, down to 1.2 L; serve the soup and contents together.

Nourilo’s Tips

This soup is sweet and savory and pleasant for young and old. It is also kind to post-natal mothers feeling low in spirit and to those whose memory feels a little foggy.