Night-Blooming Cereus, Carrot & Lean Pork Soup

Why people make this soup

Ba wang hua — the dried flower of a night-blooming cereus cactus — has a long history in Cantonese kitchens, especially as a warming-weather soup for clearing what people describe as “lung heat”: thick phlegm, persistent cough, or the stuffy-headed feeling that lingers after a cold. The fresh flower is fragrant but quite cooling and makes the broth slippery; drying it reduces that coolness and makes the soup better suited to both adults and children. In traditional practice, this soup is also used to help children who have what is called “phlegm fire nodes” — swollen lymph nodes in the neck associated with excess phlegm.

Method

1. Rinse the dried ba wang hua thoroughly; soak for a few minutes, then drain.
2. Peel and chunk the carrot. Blanch the lean pork in boiling water for 1–2 minutes, then drain.
3. Combine all ingredients in a pot with 10 cups of water.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours until the liquid reduces to about 4–5 cups.
5. Serve as a soup, drinking the broth and eating the solid ingredients.

Nourilo’s Tips

As long as you simmer this soup for the full two hours, it will not be overly cooling — the whole family, from young children to older adults, can share it comfortably. It is particularly useful in summer and early autumn when lung heat and heat-related constipation are most common. If you have a thyroid nodule, adding a small piece of luo han guo (monk fruit) along with some seaweed is a worthwhile variation — the combination is traditionally used to help resolve phlegm and soften nodules. For fever in children, Nourilo confirms this soup is fine to give.