Pepino Melon, Carrot, Water Chestnut and Goji Berry Soup

Why people make this soup

Pepino melon (ren shen guo, literally “ginseng fruit”) is a South American fruit — Solanum muricatum — that is sometimes mislabelled in shops as a different exotic variety. One thing worth knowing when selecting it: look for fruits that have just started to show a slight yellow tinge on the skin. Fully pale or white fruits are underripe and will taste bland, but once the skin begins to yellow, the fruit becomes genuinely sweet and pleasant.

In Chinese food therapy, pepino melon is considered to nourish the spleen, moisten the stomach, generate fluids, and relieve thirst. Modern nutritional research has highlighted its relatively high selenium content — a trace mineral with well-documented antioxidant properties. This, combined with its traditional associations with blood sugar and blood pressure regulation, makes it an interesting ingredient for a supportive soup during recovery or for those managing chronic conditions.

Method

1. Wash the pepino melons and cut each in half.
2. Peel the carrot and cut into chunks; peel and rinse the water chestnuts.
3. Rinse the goji berries briefly.
4. Combine all ingredients in a pot with 1.8 L of water.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour until reduced to about 900 ml.
6. Serve the broth and eat the ingredients — both are nutritious.

Nourilo’s Tips

When selecting pepino melons, choose ones that have just started to show a slight yellow tinge on the skin — fully pale or white fruits are underripe and will taste bland. Pepino melon is available at Chinese or Asian grocers and some specialty supermarkets. This soup works well as both a hot soup and as a room-temperature drink after it has cooled. For those undergoing radiotherapy who experience digestive upset or loose stools, the soup is still suitable. Scallops (dried) can be added to almost any soup as a flavour-enhancing ingredient, but sea cucumber (hai shen) is more suited to soups designed around nourishing-type ingredients like Chinese yam and goji berries, rather than this more refreshing blend.