Fresh Yam, Chayote and Fresh Fish Soup

Why people make this soup

A good family soup does not need to be complicated. This one uses four ingredients you will find at any Chinese or Asian grocer: small fresh sea fish, fresh Chinese yam, chayote, and carrot. The key is the quality of the fish — look for genuinely fresh small sea fish with bright eyes and firm flesh. Pan-fried briefly before simmering, they give the broth a naturally sweet depth that no stock cube can replicate.

Fresh Chinese yam (as opposed to the dried herb form) is the ingredient that bridges the worlds of everyday cooking and food therapy here. Its natural mucilaginous proteins coat the stomach lining and slow the absorption of glucose — an effect that is relevant not only to people managing blood sugar, but to anyone who eats irregularly and wants to protect their gut. Chayote is one of the most mineral-rich gourds available year-round, and carrot brings beta-carotene and vitamin A. The combination is described in traditional practice as supporting the three pillars of metabolic health — blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood lipids — while also raising the body’s defences against seasonal viruses.

Method

1. Gut and clean the fish; pat dry.
2. Heat a small amount of oil in a pan and pan-fry the fish on both sides until lightly golden. This step removes fishiness and enhances the flavour of the broth.
3. Peel the fresh yam, chayote, and carrot; cut into chunks.
4. Bring 2.1 L of water to a rolling boil in a soup pot.
5. Add all ingredients, including the pan-fried fish and ginger slices.
6. Simmer for about 1 hour until the liquid reduces to approximately 1.2 L.
7. Serve warm; drink the broth and eat the yam, chayote, and carrot.

Nourilo’s Tips

The key to a good fish soup is quality fish that is genuinely fresh. When selecting small sea fish, look for bright eyes, firm flesh, and no unpleasant odour — freshness makes all the difference to the flavour of the broth. If you can source “tie gun huai shan” (iron-stick yam), it is denser and richer in minerals and mucoproteins than the regular fresh yam, and is particularly beneficial for blood vessel health. Fresh Chinese yam is not at all “cold” in nature as some people believe — it is neutral. If the family tends toward dampness, add 19 g (about 19 g) of poria (fu ling) and a piece of dried tangerine peel (chen pi) to the pot.