Guava and Chicken Breast Soup

Why people make this soup

Guava is not the most obvious choice for a savoury soup, but in traditional food therapy, guava — with its notably astringent, less-sweet flesh and its medicinal leaves — has long been associated with supporting healthy blood sugar levels. Both the fruit flesh and the leaf are used: the leaves can be steeped as tea, and the fruit can be simmered with lean meat for a light, gentle broth. As Nourilo explains, fruits with a sour or astringent quality — oil olive (you gan zi), guava, hawthorn, plum — are better choices for people managing diabetes than very sweet fruits like honeydew, persimmon, banana, or longan. Paired with chicken breast for protein and a couple of ginger slices for warmth, this soup is easy to prepare and very mild in flavour.