Green Bean N Sweet Potato Soup (with Barley N Chrysanthemum)- Stress Relief!

It was another warm and sunny day in Singapore. Temperatures were soaring and the best next thing to do besides staying indoors was to keep my body cool and hydrated. But there were too many types of drinks and desserts to choose from, so I narrowed down my choices to something that would suit Mum. 

I heard from Sis that Mum seemed rather stressed with her medical condition lately and refused to travel overseas for holiday trips that required long in-flight hours. The doctors did not verify on this so we thought that her worry should be psychological. Thus I could cook up a dessert soup that would help relieve her stress and aid in stabilizing her blood pressure at the same time. 

I had half a packet of organic green beans, some organic barley, half a sweet potato, and some dried white chrysanthemum left in the fridge. These came in handy and I just needed to buy some yellow rock sugar to churn out a pot of delicious Green Bean N Sweet Potato Soup for Mum and family.

Green Bean N Sweet Potato Soup (with Barley N Chrysanthemum)

Before the recipe, here are some short nutritional facts of the dessert soup:

Green Bean Properties

• Vitamin A - A powerful antioxidant that can help protect us against cancer, heart disease and high blood cholesterol. It also eliminates signs of skin ageing.
• Vitamin C - Speeds up the healing of wounds. Antioxidant properties protect cell DNA against damage and boost the immune system against most diseases. It also lowers bad cholesterol, regulates high blood pressure, prevents strokes and heart diseases.
• Vitamin K - Benefits the body by speeding up the process of healing. It also enhances the body's absorption of calcium and prevents bone density loss and osteoporosis. 
• Dietary Fiber - Adds bulk and weight to your stools, making them easier to pass. It also decreases the levels of bad cholesterol, and regulates blood sugar levels.
• Manganese - Fights premenstrual syndrome. It also helps your body to effectively absorb other nutrients such as vitamins B, E and the mineral magnesium.

Sweet Potato Properties

• Beta-cryptoxanthin - Prevents chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. 
• Carotenoids N Chlorogenic Acid - Help body respond to insulin, decrease resistance to insulin, and stabilize blood sugar levels.
• Vitamin B6 - Helps in resistance to diabetic heart disease. 
• Soluble N Dietary fibers - Aid in lowering both blood sugar and cholesterol, prevents constipation and acidity, and cleanse heavy metals from digestive tract
• B Vitamins, Vitamin C, Potassium, Beta-carotene, N Calcium - Helps in the healing of stomach ulcers. 

Barley Properties

• Cholesterol-Free and Low in Fat
• Soluble N Dietary Fibers (See above)
• Insoluble Fiber - helps the body maintain regular bowel function and lowers the risk of colon cancer
• Antioxidants (See above)
• Niacin (Vitamin B3), Thiamine ( Vitamin B1), Selenium, Iron, Magnesium, Zinc, Phosphorus and Copper 
• Phytochemicals - Decreases the risks of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. 

Chrysanthemum Properties

• White Chrysanthemum - Soothes the eyes 
• Yellow Chrysanthemum - Clears heat
• Helps in the early stages of fever and flu. 
• Relieves certain types of headaches, blurred vision and dizziness
• Beneficial effects on high blood pressure
• Counteracts side effects of the low levels of radiation
• Relieves strained eyes

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Ingredients and Recipe for the Dessert Soup

Serves 4 - 5 bowls

Main Ingredients

200 gm Green Beans (washed and drained)

1/2 Big Sweet Potato (peeled and sliced into chunks)

Side Ingredients

50 gm Barley (washed and drained)

10 gm Dried Chrysanthemum (washed and drained)

Sweetener

2 pieces / 100 gm Yellow Rock Sugar

Steps

1. Add Green Beans and Sweet Potato chunks to a pot of 1.5 litres water

2. Cover pot and boil for 45 minutes using medium heat

3. After 45 minutes, press green beans with ladle to mash them a little

4. Add Yellow Rock Sugar, cover and boil for another 10 minutes

5. After 10 minutes, switch off heat, add Dried Chrysanthemum to steep for 5 minutes

6. Serve soup into bowls and enjoy the dessert!

Disclaimer

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