Recommended! Six Best Vegetables for Soups in Autumn.

Traditional Chinese medicine speaks of "the five tonics for the four seasons": "tonifying for ascension" in spring, "tonifying for clearing" in summer, "tonifying for balance" in autumn, and "tonifying for nourishment" in winter. It is also suitable to "tonify for unblocking" throughout the year. As we are now in autumn, the physical energy depleted by the summer heat must be replenished with increased nutrition. Autumn has arrived, bringing not only large temperature differences between morning and evening but also dryness. Since soup can moisten the lungs, relieve dryness, and nourish the body, it has become the top choice for health preservation for most people. So, how to make soup for health preservation in autumn? And which vegetables are suitable for making soup?

1. White Radish

White radish has the effects of benefiting the stomach, promoting qi circulation, and aiding digestion. It can promote bile secretion, help digest fat, and its mustard oil and dietary fiber can promote gastrointestinal motility, helping to expel waste from the body. Therefore, simmering white radish with pork ribs, beef, lamb, or pig's trotters not only replenishes qi and promotes circulation but also reduces the greasy feeling. If you don't want the radish's spicy flavor to be too strong, don't cover the pot tightly when simmering.

2. Kelp

Kelp contains substances such as alginic acid and fucoidan, which can lower blood pressure and lipids and also have a hemostatic effect on arterial bleeding. In addition, kelp is rich in various trace elements, such as iodine, iron, and calcium. Kelp can be simmered with tofu, shrimp, pork ribs, peanuts, or pig's trotters, or it can be simmered alone to make a very delicious soup.

Kelp and Pig's Trotter Soup

3. Potato

Potatoes are rich in nutrients such as dietary fiber, which can stimulate intestinal peristalsis after consumption and relieve constipation. Fresh potatoes remain whole after boiling and have a soft, mealy texture, making them suitable for soups. The most common example is borscht, also known as Russian beet soup, which simmers potatoes, carrots, beets, onions, and beef together, offering a sweet and sour appetizing flavor. Additionally, potato and beef soup is one of the most classic pairings, full of umami and beneficial for strengthening the spleen and nourishing the stomach.

4. Winter Melon

Winter melon is cold in nature and has the effects of moistening the lungs, promoting the production of body fluids, clearing heat, and promoting urination. The propylene glycol it contains can effectively inhibit the conversion of carbohydrates into fat. Coupled with its high water content, it is a dietary vegetable suitable for patients with diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and coronary heart disease. There are many ingredients suitable for simmering with winter melon, such as pork ribs, old duck, dried shrimp, and mushrooms. It should be noted that when making soup with winter melon, it's best to keep the skin on, as the skin not only contains various vitamins and minerals but also many volatile components that have health benefits such as relieving summer heat and strengthening the spleen.

Winter Melon and Meatball 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 simmering with meat, which not only doubles the nutritional value of the meat soup but also aids in the absorption of nutrients in the soup. Meats commonly paired with Chinese yam include pork ribs, beef, duck, and lamb.

6. Lotus Root

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, raw lotus root is cold in nature and has the effect of clearing heat and relieving vexation. After being cooked, it changes from cool to warm, with the effects of nourishing the stomach, enriching yin, strengthening the spleen, and replenishing qi. Simmering lotus root with kidney beans can improve sleep quality, and simmering it with pork ribs can strengthen the spleen and whet the appetite, making it suitable for people with a weak spleen and stomach for nourishment.

Black Bean, Lotus Root, and Pork Rib Soup