Soups
Kudzu, Carrot, Adzuki and Hyacinth Bean Pork Shin Soup
Traditionally used to ease tense neck, shoulder and back muscles
Why people make this soup
Kudzu root is available at Chinese or Asian grocers, or online, and is traditionally valued for supporting healthy blood sugar and lipids. It is also a classic remedy for tension across the neck and back at the onset of a cold. If you spend long hours at a computer and feel your neck and shoulders tightening, this soup of kudzu with carrot, adzuki and hyacinth beans and pork shin is a comforting way to ease that strain.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Desk workers and anyone with a tight, tense neck, shoulders or back; suitable for young and old.
- Traditionally also welcomed by those mindful of blood sugar and blood pressure.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Kudzu root (fen ge): Traditionally used to relax tense neck and back muscles and support healthy blood sugar and lipids.
- Adzuki beans (chi xiao dou): Traditionally used to support fluid balance.
- Hyacinth beans (chao bian dou): Traditionally used to strengthen the spleen and resolve dampness.
- Dried tangerine peel (chen pi): Adds fragrance and traditionally helps move qi.
Ingredients (5 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kudzu root (fen ge) | ~600 g | Peeled, cut into chunks |
| Carrot | 1–2 | Peeled, cut |
| Adzuki beans | ~37 g | Rinse and soak |
| Roasted hyacinth beans | ~37 g | Rinse and soak |
| Dried tangerine peel | 1 piece | Rinse |
| Pork shin | 1 | Cut and blanched |
| Water | 9 bowls | Reduced to 5 |
Method
- Tear the skin off the kudzu, wash and cut into chunks. Peel and chunk the carrot. Rinse and soak the adzuki beans, hyacinth beans and tangerine peel.
- Cut and blanch the pork shin.
- Add all ingredients to 9 bowls of water and simmer 2 hours until reduced to about 5 bowls. Serve.
Bro Niu’s tips
Kudzu can be hard to peel — press a small knife against the edge and pull the skin downward, which makes it come off more easily. This soup suits young and old and is traditionally welcomed by those mindful of blood sugar and blood pressure.
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (Ckl): Can I steep sliced dried figs (wu hua guo) as tea? And do I need to wait two hours after Western medicine? Bro Niu: Dried figs are really just a fruit, so there’s no need to space them two hours from medicine. But buy figs that have not been sulphur-fumigated — choose good-quality, clean-smelling ones for tea.
- Q (mo): I’ve had a cold for a week with yellow phlegm in the airways and lots of white nasal mucus; a week of Western medicine hasn’t cleared it. What soup can help clear it? Bro Niu: Try lily bulb 1 tael, mixed almonds 1 tael, 2 cored and sliced snow pears and 4 dried figs in 6–7 bowls of water, simmered half an hour to 4 bowls; split over two days, two batches over four days — it helps clear phlegm and moisten the lungs.
Published December 16, 2024 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.
