Old Cucumber, Hyacinth Bean, Mung Bean, Coix & Cured Duck Kidney Soup

Why people make this soup

Summer in southern China and Hong Kong brings a particular kind of exhaustion: the air is thick with humidity, skin breaks out, sleep is short, and the body feels heavy. Traditional Cantonese cooks turn to soups like this one — combining cooling vegetables with damp-resolving legumes — as a seasonal tonic. The star of the dish is the old yellow cucumber: a fully ripened cucumber left to turn golden on the vine, with a richer nutrient profile and a softer, more complex flavour than its young green counterpart. The cured duck kidney (a dried, salted preparation) adds a savoury depth and is traditionally associated with supporting the body’s ability to process excess fluid.

Method

1. Wash the old cucumber, halve it lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds and pulp (set aside if you wish to use for a face mask — see tips).
2. Cut cucumber into large chunks.
3. Soak the hyacinth beans, mung beans, and coix separately for about 30 minutes, then drain and rinse.
4. Soak the tangerine peel until softened. Soak and rinse the cured duck kidney, then slice.
5. Blanch the sliced lean pork in cold water: place in a pot, cover with cold water, bring slowly to a simmer, skim the foam, then drain and rinse.
6. Combine all ingredients in a large pot with 3 L of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours until the liquid reduces to 1.5–1.8 L.
7. Serve as a soup with the solid ingredients.

Nourilo’s Tips

Do not throw away the scraped-out pulp and juice of the cucumber! Nourilo suggests using it as a simple face pack — apply the pulp to your skin, or soak your hands in the cucumber juice for a few minutes. Cucumber is traditionally associated with brightening and softening the skin, and this old cucumber variety is particularly rich in moisture. If old yellow cucumber is unavailable, substitute with winter melon (dong gua), fuzzy melon (jie gua), or chayote (he zhang gua).