Soups
Longan, Lily Bulb and Red Date Sweet Soup
traditionally taken to calm the mind and support restful sleep after illness
Why people make this soup
After an illness or surgery, sleep often suffers — restless nights, fatigue, an anxious, racing mind that slows recovery. Bro Niu keeps this gentle pot for exactly those times. Lily bulb, dried longan and red date together make a clear, sweet soup that traditionally calms the spirit and settles a restless mind so the body can rest and rebuild.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Suits people recovering from illness or surgery who feel restless and sleep poorly; also has a beautifying reputation.
- Pregnant women should not take longan flesh. Those with cancer should leave out the sugar.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Lily bulb (bai he): Slightly cool; traditionally used to clear heart-fire, calm restlessness and settle the spirit.
- Dried longan (yuan rou): Warm; traditionally used to nourish the blood, calm the spirit and support the mind.
- Red dates (hong zao): Slightly warm; strengthen the spleen and stomach, nourish the blood and calm the spirit, and harmonize the other ingredients.
Ingredients (3 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dried lily bulb | ~38 g (1 liang) | Soaked and rinsed |
| Dried longan flesh | ~19 g (5 qian) | Rinsed |
| Red dates | 6 | Pitted |
| Brown sugar | To taste | Omit for those with cancer |
Method
- Soak and rinse the lily bulb; rinse the longan flesh; pit the red dates.
- Put everything into a pot with 7 bowls of water and simmer for 45 minutes, reducing to about 3 bowls.
- Stir in the brown sugar until dissolved. Serve the soup with the ingredients.
Bro Niu’s tips
This soup is lightly sweet and delicious, and taken regularly it has a beautifying reputation. But pregnant women should not use longan flesh, and those with cancer are best leaving out the sugar.
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (Joyce Man): I’m about to have my gallbladder removed (gallbladder polyps). What can I drink to recover before and after surgery? Bro Niu: After surgery, simmer 1 white radish with 2 pieces of tangerine peel in water for half an hour and sip it slowly to help clear the anesthetic. Then a congee of astragalus, dried scallop and tangerine peel; keep the soup non-greasy or it can cause diarrhea.
- Q (Wing): Next week I’m having minimally invasive surgery to remove an ovary and a chocolate cyst. How do I recover, and when can I start drinking soup? Bro Niu: Even minimally invasive surgery leaves an internal wound, so afterward use astragalus in congee or soup to help it heal. About 3–4 days after, simmer astragalus (~19 g), goji (~11 g) and 5 red dates in a fish soup to support deep-wound healing. On the day of surgery, once you can drink, take white-radish and tangerine-peel water to help clear the anesthetic.
- Q (Bingbb): My 80-something father had a small hernia operation and the doctor says his hemoglobin is low; he tires easily and eats little. Any suitable soup, and anything to help him pass stool after surgery? Bro Niu: Simmer red beans (~38 g), red-skin peanuts (~38 g), goji (~8 g), 5 red dates and 1 tangerine peel; take for 3 batches to help build hemoglobin, then twice a week. For difficult stools (often qi deficiency), simmer cistanche, angelica and figs in a pork soup, twice a week — it nourishes blood and moistens the bowels.
Published September 27, 2023 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.
