Spaghetti Squash Fresh Abalone Soup (Yu Chi Gua Xian Bao Yu Tang)

Why people make this soup

Nourilo is a fan of squash: the nutrition runs all through it, from skin to flesh to seeds. Spaghetti squash (yu chi gua, “shark-fin gourd”) is a low-sweetness, low-starch variety — its white flesh pulls apart into shimmering strands a bit like shark’s fin, which is how it got the name. Squash contains trace cobalt, traditionally associated with supporting healthy blood sugar, and it is low in calories, making it a friendly choice for those watching their sugar. Simmered with corn, carrot, scallop and fresh baby abalone, the soup nourishes gently — neither too cooling nor too warming — and is well suited to people watching blood sugar or feeling dry and overheated (yin-deficient).