Soups
Dragon's-Tongue Leaf, Shi Huang Pi and Apple Soup
Traditionally associated with moistening the lungs, clearing phlegm and easing cough
Why people make this soup
After a cold, the throat often stays uncomfortable and a cough lingers on. Whether the cough is cold-type or heat-type, Bro Niu reaches for fresh dragon’s-tongue leaf and shi huang pi — folk herbs long used to ease the lingering cough that follows a cold, as well as phlegmy cough and sore throat. With apricot kernels they are traditionally said to clear dryness and moisten the lungs, and adding two apples and a carrot makes the soup sweet and easy to drink for both cold and heat cough.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Adults and children with a lingering cough after a cold (cold-type or heat-type); also suited to those with a dry, persistent cough
- For a heat-type cough with thick yellow phlegm, swap the apples for snow pears
- Children under 3 can have it split over two days; for young children, dose in halves
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Dragon’s-tongue leaf (long li ye): a folk herb traditionally used to clear phlegm, ease cough and soothe the throat.
- Shi huang pi: a folk herb traditionally paired with dragon’s-tongue leaf for cough; slightly cooling.
- Apricot kernels (nan bei xing): traditionally moisten the lungs and ease cough.
- Apple / snow pear and carrot: add natural sweetness; apple for cold cough, snow pear for heat cough.
Ingredients (3 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh dragon’s-tongue leaf (long li ye) | 1 tael (~38 g) | Rinse |
| Shi huang pi | 2 taels (~75 g) | Rinse |
| Apricot kernels (nan bei xing) | 1 tael (~38 g) | |
| Apples (ping guo) | 2 | Use snow pears for heat cough |
| Carrot (hong luo bo) | 1 | Peeled, chunked |
| Lean pork (shou rou) | 4 taels (~150 g) | Blanched |
Method
- Blanch the lean pork. Wash and core the apples and cut into chunks. Peel and chunk the carrot. Rinse the remaining ingredients.
- Put everything in a pot with 6 bowls of water.
- Simmer for about 1.5 hours, reducing to about 3 bowls, then serve.
Bro Niu’s tips
If the cough is heavy with thick yellow phlegm (a heat-type cough), use snow pears in place of the apples. This soup is sweet and mild with little herbal taste; it also suits people with a dry, persistent cough — have it a few times. Fresh dragon’s-tongue leaf only needs 30-45 minutes to release its benefit, so there is no need to simmer it for 2 hours.
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (momo): My 9-year-old daughter had a week of fever, now broken, but she keeps coughing with phlegm that is pale yellow, waking at 3-4 a.m. Is this soup suitable? Bro Niu: This soup suits children with yellow phlegm and a phlegmy cough; she can take it for 3 days.
- Q (Cara): Is half an hour enough? The auntie who sells the leaf says simmer 2 hours. Bro Niu: Fresh dragon’s-tongue leaf releases its benefit in 30 to 45 minutes; there is no need to simmer it for 2 hours.
- Q (reader, 33 weeks pregnant): I am in my third trimester with a cold on day three — yellow phlegm, day-and-night cough, yellow mucus, sore throat. Is this food therapy suitable? Bro Niu: You can use 1 tael fresh dragon’s-tongue leaf, 1/4 monk fruit, 1 tael apricot kernels and 1 chopped candied tangerine, simmered from 5 bowls of water to 2, for 3 days. Shi huang pi is rather cooling, so I am not certain it is suitable in pregnancy — please check with your doctor.
Published April 18, 2011 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.
