Soups
Arrowroot and Water Chestnut Lean Pork Soup
Traditionally associated with clearing lung heat and relieving dryness
Why people make this soup
Arrowroot (zhu yu) is an ingredient you might walk right past — pale, plump, and oddly shaped, almost like an oversized silkworm. It has a long history as a food that supports the lungs and urinary tract, particularly in dry or warm weather. Paired with sweet water chestnuts and honey dates, it makes a soup that tastes wonderfully clean and light.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Suitable for most people, including children and older adults — the soup is gentle and naturally sweet
- Those who find it useful when experiencing a dry or scratchy throat, a dry cough, or mild urinary discomfort associated with heat
- People with a cold or deficient constitution (spleen and stomach weakness, easy loose stools) should use this soup sparingly, as arrowroot has a cooling nature
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Arrowroot (zhu yu): Traditionally considered cooling; associated with supporting the lungs, clearing heat, and promoting urination. Its soft, starchy flesh gives the soup a pleasant body.
- Water chestnut (ma ti, Eleocharis dulcis): Cooling and sweet; traditionally used to clear heat, moisten the throat, and support digestion. Also commonly used for mild high blood pressure and haemorrhoids.
- Honey dates (mi zao): Sweet and neutral; used to harmonise the soup, nourish qi, and temper the cooling nature of the other ingredients.
- Lean pork: Provides a mild, nourishing protein base that adds flavour and rounds out the soup without making it heavy.
Ingredients (4 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Arrowroot (zhu yu) | 3–4 pieces (~300 g) | Peel and cut into chunks |
| Water chestnuts (ma ti) | 6 pieces | Peel, rinse, slice |
| Honey dates (mi zao) | 2 pieces | Available at Chinese herbalists or Asian grocers |
| Lean pork | ~225 g | Cut into chunks; blanch first |
| Water | 7 bowls (~1.75 L) | Reduce to 4 bowls |
Method
- Peel the arrowroot and cut into roughly equal chunks.
- Peel the water chestnuts, rinse well, and slice.
- Cut the lean pork into chunks and blanch in boiling water for a minute or two; drain and set aside.
- Place all ingredients in a pot with 7 bowls of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 1 hour until the liquid reduces to 4 bowls.
- Serve warm; drink the soup and eat the soft solids.
Bro Niu’s tips
This soup is naturally sweet and mild — pleasant enough for the whole family, including children. It is also associated with supporting people who experience high blood pressure, constipation, or haemorrhoid-related bleeding. However, anyone with a cold or weak digestive constitution should have it only occasionally, not as a daily drink. If you cannot find arrowroot, sweet corn cobs make a reasonable substitute.
Community questions answered (selected)
-
Q (reader): Can someone with kidney deficiency drink this? Bro Niu: It is better for those with kidney deficiency to have this only occasionally. You could swap the arrowroot for sweet corn instead.
-
Q (karen): My daughter has had a cold recently — she has a couple of coughs, cold hands and feet, very red lips, and cracked corners of her mouth. What should I make for her? Bro Niu: Try one dried mandarin orange (jū bǐng), one cored pear, and 15 g of sweet almonds (nan xing), simmered in 4 bowls of water down to 2. Take for 3 consecutive days and see if it helps.
Published November 1, 2019 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.
