Soups

Old Cucumber, Red Bean, Hyacinth Bean & Fig Pork Shin Soup

Traditionally associated with clearing heat, easing damp, and supporting immunity

In short: Old Cucumber, Red Bean, Hyacinth Bean & Fig Pork Shin Soup is a soup that Traditionally associated with clearing heat, easing damp, and supporting immunity. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, cooling & summer heat, immune support. Total time about 1 hr 50 min. Key ingredients: old cucumber, figs, lean pork.

Prep
20 min
Cook
1 hr 30 min
Total
1 hr 50 min
Makes
About 1.5 L
Old Cucumber, Red Bean, Hyacinth Bean & Fig Pork Shin Soup

Why people make this soup

Old cucumber is a wonderful soup ingredient, traditionally associated with clearing heat, cooling in summer, and easing damp. Even though it is now deep autumn, the weather can still run hot, and old cucumber is also valued for supporting immunity. With flu going around, Nourilo likes pairing old cucumber with red beans, hyacinth beans, and figs in a soup that suits people feeling weighed-down and tired by damp, with lower immunity, or living with the “three highs.”

What studies say about the key ingredients

Traditional use is not the same as clinical proof. Here is the strongest human research we found for each ingredient, limitations included.

  • Adzuki beans · Randomized crossover trial, 10 participants · 2019
    Adzuki bean meals had a low glycemic index (21–51 range reported with lotus seed), whereas other starchy foods did not differ significantly from rice. Adzuki bean hydrolysis index was lower than other test foods.Limitation: Only ten healthy participants and acute single-meal responses, so effects in people with diabetes or with regular intake are unknown.PubMed 30875961 · 1 more adzuki beans study

From the Nourilo Research Library. Findings come from specific doses, extracts and populations and may not apply to a home-cooked recipe.

Safety first — read before you cook

This is a traditional food, not a treatment. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before making it a regular part of your diet if you:

  • are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are cooking for a young child;
  • take regular medicines — especially blood thinners, blood-pressure, diabetes or immune-suppressing drugs;
  • have a kidney, liver or heart condition, or a known food allergy.

Stop eating it and seek advice if you notice an allergic reaction or feel unwell. Safety notes reviewed 8 October 2026 · How we write safety notes

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