Bitter Melon, Adzuki Bean and White Kidney Bean Pork Soup

Why people make this soup

Bitter melon has a long reputation in Chinese cooking as the so-called “gentleman vegetable” — because it stays bitter itself but never makes the food it is cooked with bitter. Braise it with pork ribs or chicken and the meat stays perfectly un-bitter; cook it in a soup and the broth comes out clean, slightly sweet, and light. Beyond its flavour versatility, bitter melon carries a reputation in Cantonese food-therapy as a “fat fighter”: it is traditionally associated with reducing fat accumulation in the body, clearing heat and heart fire, brightening vision, and supporting healthy blood lipid and blood sugar levels. Nourilo pairs it here with the darker, more bitter “thunder chisel” variety of bitter melon for the best effect, along with adzuki beans for their diuretic and dampness-clearing properties, and white kidney beans, which contain saponins shown in research to slow fat absorption.