Green Papaya and Fresh Fish Soup

Why people make this soup

Small sea fish make a sweet, milky broth that is nutritious and especially friendly for people whose stomachs run a bit weak and whose digestion is slow. If you spend long hours hunched at a desk in front of a screen, tense and under pressure, your digestion often suffers, and a heavy meal sits like a stone. A bowl of this light, savory fish soup is just the thing. Nourilo pan-fries the fish before simmering to draw out a beautifully milky broth, then pairs it with green papaya, carrot, sweet apricot kernels and pork ribs for a soup that nourishes both the stomach and the skin.

Method

1. Clean the small sea fish and pan-fry in a little oil until fragrant.
2. Seed and peel the green papaya, then cut into chunks. Peel and chunk the carrot. Rinse the apricot kernels. Blanch the pork ribs.
3. Bring all the ingredients to a boil in 2.4–2.7 L of water for 15 minutes.
4. Lower to medium-low heat and simmer for 1 hour, reducing to 1.2–1.5 L. Serve.

Nourilo’s Tips

Green papaya here means the green, unripe papaya — not the ripe yellow fruit. It is especially kind to the stomach and intestinal lining, so it is a good pick for anyone with stomach troubles. The soup is also traditionally regarded as supportive for nursing mothers and can be taken regularly.