Soups
Mung Bean Liquorice Soup
Traditionally used to clear summer heat and help the body clear toxins
Why people make this soup
On a sweltering summer day, Bro Niu finds a bowl of mung bean soup wonderfully cooling — mung bean is a classic summer ingredient, traditionally used to clear heat, ease toxins and drain water. Paired with liquorice and simmered as a tea, it is traditionally regarded as helping the body clear a range of plant-based toxins. Bro Niu once knew someone who ate a slightly green-skinned potato and felt their mouth go numb with chest tightness and nausea; on his suggestion they sipped mung bean and liquorice water and the discomfort eased after a couple of bowls. Still — if you’ve eaten or absorbed too much of anything toxic, you must go to hospital. Never take a risk.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Those wanting a cooling summer drink, or to gently help the body clear everyday traces of plant or residue toxins.
- Mung bean soup is cooling by nature — don’t drink it on an empty stomach. It may weaken some medicines, so if you take herbal medicine, leave it at least 2 hours apart.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Mung bean (lü dou): Traditionally used to clear summer heat, ease toxins and drain water.
- Liquorice (gan cao): Traditionally regarded as helping the body clear plant-based toxins, including from herbs and small amounts of residue.
Ingredients (4 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mung bean (lü dou) | 2 liang (~75 g) | Soaked and rinsed |
| Liquorice (gan cao) | 2 qian (~7.5 g) | Rinsed |
Method
- Soak and rinse the mung bean; rinse the liquorice.
- Place both into a pot with 7 bowls of water.
- Simmer for about 40 minutes until reduced to 4 bowls. Serve.
Bro Niu’s tips
Mung bean soup is cooling in nature, so don’t take it on an empty stomach. It can help clear toxins but may also weaken some medicines, so if you take herbal medicine, leave at least 2 hours between the two.
Community questions answered (selected)
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Q (Mak Tai): Hello Bro Niu. Lately my stomach and gut feel bloated, my stools are sometimes hard and sometimes sticky, and I don’t sleep well. A Chinese-medicine doctor said it’s “damp-heat collecting downward.” Does the soup above suit my constitution? Bro Niu: You can use poria (yun ling), white atractylodes (bai zhu) and hyacinth-bean skin (bian dou yi) 3 qian each, with 4 figs, in 5 bowls of water reduced to 2, for 3 batches — traditionally used to help clear damp-heat and ease elimination. Dried prunes are great for the bowels too; eat about 4 at a time, and drink plenty of warm water.
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Q (Jessica): Bro Niu, is it true that for an adult after surgery and anaesthesia you use radish simmered with tangerine peel to clear it? How much radish and tangerine peel, and how long? Bro Niu: After surgery, white radish simmered with tangerine peel can help speed urination — which helps flush out the anaesthetic. Use one peeled radish sliced, 2 tangerine peels, 5 bowls of water simmered half an hour to 3 bowls. Once they’re allowed to drink, give small sips at first; drinking in larger gulps the next day helps the bowels move.
Published June 25, 2025 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.
