Old Cucumber Soup Recipe

There’s something about old cucumber soup that always brings me back to my childhood.

It’s one of those dishes that doesn’t look fancy at all, but once you taste it, you’ll understand why it’s so loved in Chinese families. Growing up, I would watch my mom slowly cook this soup for hours.

The smell of it gently simmering in the kitchen would fill the whole house, a mixture of dried seafood, ginger, and that subtle sweetness from red dates. Even now, just thinking about it evokes a sense of calm and nostalgia.

I think many people, especially outside Asia, might not know what an “old cucumber” is. It’s actually just a mature cucumber, one that’s been left to ripen longer.

The skin turns a brownish-yellow, a bit wrinkly, and looks quite different from the smooth green cucumbers we usually eat in salads.

The Chinese call it “Lou Wong Kua” (老黃瓜), which literally means old yellow gourd. Funny thing is, I didn’t even know why cucumbers were called yellow gourds until I saw one of these old cucumbers myself.

When cooked, the old cucumber softens and turns almost creamy in texture. It gives the soup a nice earthy sweetness and a cooling effect that’s perfect for hot weather.

Chinese people believe this soup helps balance the body’s heat — a yin-type soup, as we say. That’s why this dish is especially popular in summer.

Now, this soup may sound simple, but like many Cantonese recipes, the magic is really in the slow simmering.

The key is to let all the ingredients — the pork or chicken bones, the dried scallops, oysters, and red dates — release their flavor slowly over a few hours. It’s not a quick soup, but it’s worth every minute.

Hi, my name is Dipendra Kumar, and I am a Chef. I like cooking food for family and relatives. My friend suggested to me that you are a nice cook why are you not writing these recipes on Google? I thought I. That’s the outcome you read it.

Why I Love This Soup

I think the best part about old cucumber soup is that it’s so nourishing and comforting. It’s one of those soups that feels like medicine, but in a good way.

My mom always said it helps with heatiness and detoxes the body. When I used to come home from school all sweaty from the summer heat, she’d ladle out a bowl for me and say, Drink this, it’ll cool your body down.

Later on, I found out there’s actually some science behind that. Old cucumber is rich in dietary fiber, iron, and calcium.

It’s also said to have anti-aging properties. The red dates and goji berries that go into the soup add natural sweetness and antioxidants.

The dried seafood — especially scallops and oysters — gives the soup a deep umami taste, almost like the ocean but subtle.

If you’re wondering what makes this recipe special compared to regular cucumber soup, it’s the balance of ingredients.

The sweetness of the dates and goji berries blends beautifully with the savory, slightly briny notes from the dried scallops and oysters.

The pork or chicken bones give the soup body and that rich, collagen-like mouthfeel when slow-cooked for hours.

What You’ll Need

There are many versions of this soup, and honestly, I change things around depending on what I have in the kitchen. But here’s the version I usually make when I want it to taste just right:

Ingredients (serves 4–6):

• 1 old cucumber (about 700 g), scrubbed, deseeded, and chopped into large chunks
• 600–700 g of pork bones or chicken bones (you can mix carcass, feet, and breast meat)
• 10 red dates, sliced in half
• 1 Chinese honey date (optional, but adds sweetness)
• 3 dried scallops
• 3 dried oysters
• A small piece (about 15 g) of dried cuttlefish or squid (optional, but adds umami)
• A few slices of ginger (about 1-inch piece)
• 1 tbsp goji berries
• 1 piece dried tangerine peel (optional, for aroma)
• About 2 liters of water
• Salt, to taste

Step-by-Step Cooking

Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients

First, wash and scrub the old cucumber well. The skin is quite tough, but don’t peel it — that’s where a lot of the flavor and nutrients are. Slice it lengthwise, scoop out the seeds with a spoon, and cut it into thick chunks.

Blanch the pork or chicken bones in boiling water for about 5 minutes to remove any scum or impurities. This step makes your soup clear and clean-tasting. Once blanched, rinse them with clean water.

While that’s happening, rinse all the dried ingredients — scallops, oysters, and red dates. If you’re using dried cuttlefish, just wipe it clean with a damp cloth and cut it into large pieces.

Step 2: Boil and Simmer Slowly

Now, in a clean pot or slow cooker, add the 2 liters of water. Drop in the blanched bones, old cucumber, red dates, dried scallops, oysters, goji berries, ginger, and tangerine peel if you’re using it.

Bring it to a boil over high heat first, just to get things started. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer gently.

If you’re using a slow cooker, just set it on low and leave it for 6–8 hours. If you’re cooking on the stove, 3–4 hours is enough, but make sure it’s a gentle simmer — not a rolling boil. The soup should look calm, with small bubbles rising occasionally.

As it cooks, your kitchen will fill with this deep, comforting aroma — sweet, slightly seafood-like, and earthy from the cucumber. That’s when you know it’s working its magic.

Step 3: Season and Serve

Once the soup has simmered long enough, taste it. Add a pinch of salt, just enough to bring out the flavors. You don’t need much because the ingredients already give plenty of taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve it hot. The cucumber pieces will be soft and almost creamy inside, while the broth will be light golden and clear.

I like to eat it with a bowl of steamed rice, or sometimes just drink it on its own when I’m feeling tired or a bit under the weather.

Cooking Tips I’ve Learned

• Use a slow cooker if you can. I used to boil soups over the stove, constantly checking on them, but the slow cooker changed everything. Just throw everything in and forget about it for 6 hours — perfect soup every time.
• If you can’t find an old cucumber, you can use an English cucumber or a regular cucumber. The taste is very similar, though the old one gives a slightly deeper flavor.
• Avoid this soup if you’re pregnant. It’s said to have cooling properties, which can affect body balance. My aunt always warns people about that!
• Want a vegetarian version? Replace the bones with vegetable stock and skip the dried seafood. Add a handful of mushrooms instead — they’ll bring umami too.
• Clay pot cooking gives the best texture. The heat distribution is gentle and even, and somehow it makes the soup taste more “rounded.”

My Thoughts

Every time I make old cucumber soup, it reminds me how simple food can be so nourishing. It’s not fancy — there’s no cream, no spices, no complicated sauces — but it warms you from the inside.

The way the cucumber melts into the broth, the sweetness of red dates, and that faint ocean taste from the dried scallops… It’s just beautiful in its own quiet way.

When I was younger, I didn’t appreciate it much. I used to complain that it looked boring or that there wasn’t any “real meat” in it.

Now, as I cook it myself, I finally understand what my mom meant when she said this soup “feeds your body and your soul.”

It’s a humble dish, yes, but it carries generations of wisdom — how to balance flavors, how to nourish the body, and how to slow down in a world that’s always rushing.

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