Soups
Corn, Onion, Fuzzy Melon & Dried Scallop Soup
Traditionally promotes urination and supports healthy blood sugar and blood pressure
Why people make this soup
Corn is one of those quietly wholesome staples — easy to find year-round. The kernels are rich in protein, and corn silk (the whiskery threads on the cob) has long been valued in food tradition for promoting urination. Paired with onion and fuzzy melon — both traditionally associated with supporting healthy blood sugar — it makes a clear, naturally sweet soup that families with diabetes often keep on rotation as an everyday wellness bowl.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- People watching their blood sugar; also suitable for those with high blood pressure, high blood lipids or extra weight.
- Clear and sweet — the whole family, young and old, can enjoy it.
- This is a supportive food, not a treatment — keep following your doctor and any prescribed medication.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Corn & corn silk (su mi): The silk is traditionally associated with promoting urination and supporting healthy blood sugar and blood pressure — so keep it on the cob.
- Onion (yang cong): Traditionally associated with supporting healthy blood sugar.
- Fuzzy melon (jie gua): Traditionally promotes urination and is associated with supporting blood sugar.
- Soybeans & dried scallop: Add nourishing protein and natural savour.
Ingredients (4 to 5 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Corn (su mi) | 2 ears | Keep the silk; cut into segments |
| Onion | 1 | Peeled, cut |
| Fuzzy melon (jie gua) | 1 | Peeled, cut |
| Carrot | 1 | Peeled, cut |
| Soybeans | ~38 g | Soaked, rinsed |
| Dried scallops or lean pork | To taste | |
| Water | 8 bowls | Reduced to 4–5 |
Method
- Husk the corn, keep the silk, rinse and cut into segments. Peel the onion and cut into chunks; peel and cut the carrot and fuzzy melon. Soak and rinse the soybeans.
- Put everything into a pot with 8 bowls of water.
- Simmer about 2 hours until reduced to 4 to 5 bowls. Eat the soup with the solids.
Bro Niu’s tips
This soup is clear and pleasantly sweet — the whole family can share it, and it also suits people with high blood pressure, high blood lipids or extra weight. If you have a bigger family, using both dried scallops and lean pork makes it tastier; otherwise either one alone gives plenty of savour. When using beans, adding a piece of dried tangerine peel helps keep them easy on the stomach.
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (Amy): I take aspirin and have high blood pressure — can I drink corn-silk water? Bro Niu: Yes, you can drink corn-silk water while taking aspirin.
- Q (scy): Do I put in just the scallops, or just the pork, or both? Bro Niu: If you have a larger family, both together taste even better; otherwise just one gives enough savour.
- Q (scy): Is it best to add tangerine peel to all soups with beans (kidney bean, adzuki, black bean, soybean, etc.)? Bro Niu: Yes — any bean soup is well suited to a little tangerine peel to keep the beans easy to digest.
Published May 4, 2011 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.
