Making a nutritious and delicious soup for your family is a pleasure, but many people struggle with choosing the right ingredients, especially vegetables. For soups, vegetables need to be able to withstand long cooking times without losing their shape, and they shouldn't develop an unpleasant odor after being cooked for a long time. If they can also complement other ingredients nutritionally and in terms of flavor, that's even better. Here are some vegetables recommended for stewing with meat.
1. Lotus Root:
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, raw lotus root is considered cool in nature and can clear heat and relieve restlessness. After being cooked, it becomes warm and is believed to nourish the stomach, nourish yin, and strengthen the spleen and qi. A soup with lotus root and pork ribs can strengthen the spleen and whet the appetite, making it suitable for nourishing those with a weak spleen and stomach. It's worth noting that when stewing lotus root for a long time, it's best to use ceramic or stainless steel cookware. Avoid using an iron pot and try not to cut the lotus root with an iron knife to prevent it from oxidizing and turning black.
2. White Radish:
White radish is beneficial for the stomach, regulates qi, and aids digestion. It can promote bile secretion, help digest fats, and the mustard oil and dietary fiber it contains can promote gastrointestinal motility, helping to expel waste from the body. Therefore, stewing white radish with pork ribs, beef, mutton, or pig's trotters not only replenishes qi and regulates it but also reduces the greasiness of the soup.
3. Potato:
Potatoes are rich in nutrients like dietary fiber, which can stimulate intestinal peristalsis and relieve constipation. Stewing potatoes with carrots, beets, onions, and beef creates a sweet and sour soup that is appetizing. Additionally, potato and beef soup is one of the most classic combinations, known for its rich flavor and its ability to strengthen the spleen and nourish the stomach.
4. Kelp:
Kelp contains substances such as alginic acid and fucoidan, which can lower blood pressure and lipids and also has a hemostatic effect on arterial bleeding. Kelp can be stewed with tofu, shrimp, pork ribs, peanuts, or pig's trotters, or it can be stewed on its own for a very delicious and savory soup.
5. Chinese Yam:
Chinese yam is rich in various vitamins, amino acids, and minerals, and has health benefits such as enhancing human immunity and calming the mind. Chinese yam is suitable for stewing with meat, as it not only doubles the nutritional value of the meat soup but also aids in the absorption of its nutrients. Meats commonly paired with Chinese yam include pork ribs, beef, duck, and mutton.