Soups
Green Papaya and Fresh Fish Soup
Traditionally nourishes the skin and supports the stomach
Why people make this soup
Small sea fish make a sweet, milky broth that is nutritious and especially friendly for people whose stomachs run a bit weak and whose digestion is slow. If you spend long hours hunched at a desk in front of a screen, tense and under pressure, your digestion often suffers, and a heavy meal sits like a stone. A bowl of this light, savory fish soup is just the thing. Bro Niu pan-fries the fish before simmering to draw out a beautifully milky broth, then pairs it with green papaya, carrot, sweet apricot kernels and pork ribs for a soup that nourishes both the stomach and the skin.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- People with a weaker stomach and slower digestion who want something light yet nourishing
- Nursing mothers — Bro Niu notes the soup is traditionally regarded as supportive of milk flow and can be taken often
- As with any fresh-fish soup, choose well-cleaned fish and adjust seasoning to taste
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Green papaya (qing mu gua): Traditionally regarded as protective for the stomach and intestinal lining, making it a friendly choice for those with sensitive stomachs.
- Fresh sea fish (xiao hai yu): Lightly pan-fried for a sweet, milky broth that is easy on digestion.
- Carrot and sweet apricot kernels (hong luo bo, nan xing): Add natural sweetness and round out the soup, traditionally associated with a moistening, gentle quality.
Ingredients (4–5 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh small sea fish | ~600 g | Cleaned, lightly pan-fried in a little oil |
| Green papaya | 1 | Seeded, peeled, cut into chunks |
| Carrot | 1 | Peeled, cut into chunks |
| Sweet apricot kernels | ~38 g | Rinsed |
| Fresh ginger | 3 slices | |
| Pork ribs | ~300 g | Blanched |
Method
- Clean the small sea fish and pan-fry in a little oil until fragrant.
- Seed and peel the green papaya, then cut into chunks. Peel and chunk the carrot. Rinse the apricot kernels. Blanch the pork ribs.
- Bring all the ingredients to a boil in 8–9 bowls of water for 15 minutes.
- Lower to medium-low heat and simmer for 1 hour, reducing to 4–5 bowls. Serve.
Bro Niu’s tips
Green papaya here means the green, unripe papaya — not the ripe yellow fruit. It is especially kind to the stomach and intestinal lining, so it is a good pick for anyone with stomach troubles. The soup is also traditionally regarded as supportive for nursing mothers and can be taken regularly.
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (Venus): I am a woman in my seventies and sometimes get stomach acid. My doctor suggested foods that protect the stomach lining. Can you teach me? Bro Niu: Monkey-head mushroom is good for the digestive tract — use 2–3 pieces with Chinese yam and lotus seeds in soup. Green papaya also helps protect the stomach and intestinal lining, so eat it often. Use the green, unripe papaya, not the ripe yellow fruit (the yellow one is still good and moistening, but not as effective for this).
- Q (anonymous reader): My child often gets nosebleeds — what soup can I make? Bro Niu: Try 1 bundle of fresh imperata root (mao gen), 3 fresh lotus-root nodes, and 1 cored pear in 5 bowls of water reduced to 2 bowls; take for 2–3 days. Day to day, dab a little petroleum jelly inside the nostrils so the lining does not get too dry.
Published February 19, 2025 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.
