Seaweed, Pumpkin, and Pork Soup

Why people make this soup

Spending long hours under air conditioning can actually make skin more sensitive to occasional sun exposure — and spending too much time in the sun when skin is not conditioned for it can lead to redness, itching, or increased freckling. This soup was created to support the kind of clear, healthy skin that starts from within. The combination of seaweed, pumpkin, tomato, and carrot brings together a remarkable concentration of pectin — a gel-like substance found in these plants — which traditional food-therapy associates with helping to clear accumulated waste and heavy metals from the bloodstream. When the blood runs cleaner, the skin tends to look better.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suitable for most adults as a general skin-wellness soup; good year-round but especially during or after periods of sun exposure
• Fully suitable for the elderly and those with mild skin sensitivity
• If fresh spiral seaweed is unavailable, regular dried seaweed or kelp (hai dai) can be used instead

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Spiral seaweed (luo xuan hai zao): Contains an array of minerals that support tissue repair and skin hydration. Its natural gel (colloid) is associated with helping clear radioactive substances and accumulated toxins from the body.
• Pumpkin (nan gua): Rich in beta-carotene and pectin; traditional food-therapy uses it to nourish qi and support the stomach.
• Tomatoes (fan qie): Pectin-rich and high in lycopene; associated with antioxidant activity and clearing heat.
• Carrot (hong luo bo): Also rich in pectin and beta-carotene; traditionally associated with eye and skin health.
• Lean pork (shou rou): Adds protein and balances the otherwise cooling vegetables; in food-therapy, considered gently nourishing.

Ingredients (3–4 bowls)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Spiral seaweed	~19 g	Soaked in water and rinsed gently
Pumpkin	~300 g	Peeled, cut into chunks
Tomatoes	2 medium	Peeled, cut into chunks
Carrot	1 medium	Peeled, cut into chunks
Lean pork	~225 g	Sliced; blanched in boiling water first
Water	7 bowls (~1.4 litres)

Method

1. Soak the seaweed in clean water; rinse gently and set aside.
2. Peel and cut the pumpkin, tomatoes, and carrot into rough chunks.
3. Slice the pork and blanch briefly in boiling water; drain and rinse.
4. Combine the pumpkin, tomatoes, carrot, and pork in a pot with 7 bowls of water.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
6. Add the seaweed to the pot and continue simmering for a further 15 minutes, until the liquid reduces to 3–4 bowls.
7. Serve and eat the soup together with all the cooked ingredients.

Bro Niu’s tips

If spiral seaweed is not available, any variety of dried seaweed or kelp works well as a substitute. The pumpkin, tomatoes, and carrot all contain generous amounts of natural pectin, and combined with the gel from the seaweed, these ingredients together support the body in clearing trace amounts of heavy metals and other unwanted substances from the bloodstream. Less accumulation in the blood naturally supports a clearer, more luminous complexion.

---

Published April 22, 2020 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.