Fresh Houttuynia, Carrot & Lean Pork Soup

Why people make this soup

Houttuynia cordata — called yu xing cao in Mandarin or jyu sing chou in Cantonese — has a pungent, fish-like smell when raw that disappears completely on cooking, leaving a clean, slightly herbaceous broth. It is one of the most widely researched herbs in East Asian medicine, with laboratory studies suggesting strong antimicrobial activity. In traditional food therapy it is used specifically for what practitioners call “lung heat” — thick yellow-green phlegm, sore inflamed throat, bronchitis, and situations where infection has settled into the respiratory tract. Combined with carrot, which acts as a mild anti-inflammatory companion, this is a relatively quick soup (30 minutes) that can be made repeatedly during recovery.

Method

1. Rinse the fresh houttuynia thoroughly; cut into sections.
2. Peel and chunk the carrot. Slice the lean pork thinly.
3. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add all ingredients.
4. Simmer for 30 minutes — do not over-simmer; houttuynia loses its beneficial properties if cooked too long. Aim for 15–20 minutes of active simmering after adding the herb.
5. Serve as a light soup-meal, drinking the broth and eating the ingredients.

Nourilo’s Tips

This is a straightforward, fast soup — useful to have ready during a respiratory illness. Red dates (6 pieces) can be added to the pot for extra nourishment and to slightly moderate the cooling effect. If your houttuynia is particularly strongly-smelling or you are serving it to older adults with a weaker stomach, add one piece of dried tangerine peel and reduce the houttuynia to 75 g (75 g). Fresh houttuynia can usually be found at markets selling fresh herbs; it is sometimes available frozen.