Winter Melon, Hyacinth Bean, Job's Tears and Frog Soup

Why people make this soup

On a sweltering summer day when the body feels heavy and sluggish, Nourilo’s first instinct is to reach for a pot of something light but genuinely nourishing. Frog meat — known in Cantonese as “tian ji” (field chicken) — surprises many people. It is lean, delicate, high in protein, and farmed frogs are perfectly safe to eat once properly prepared. In Chinese food therapy, it is associated with replenishing vital energy and nourishing the skin. Paired with winter melon for its cooling quality, hyacinth bean and Job’s tears for clearing heat-dampness, and ginger to aid digestion, this soup manages to be both light and deeply restorative. It is particularly well suited for people who feel weak and puffy in summer heat.