Prince Ginseng, Snow Ear Fungus, Walnut, Lily Bulb and Fig Soup

Why people make this soup

When children fall ill with COVID, parents worry — and rightly so. Some children recover smoothly, while others are left with lingering fatigue, poor appetite, a chronic cough, headaches, poor concentration, or mood changes. Getting a child to drink medicine is often a battle; getting them to drink a pleasant-tasting soup is far easier. This is where food therapy shines for parents. The key ingredient here is prince ginseng (tai zi shen, also known as “children’s ginseng”), a gentle qi tonic that is not the same plant family as true ginseng and is considered much safer for children. It won’t cause the heating or stimulating effects associated with Korean or Panax ginseng. Paired with the familiar nourishing ingredients of snow ear, walnuts, lily bulb, and figs, this soup is mild, lightly sweet, and suitable for the whole family — while being especially well targeted at children recovering from respiratory illness.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suitable for children from around 18 months upward (use smaller amounts for younger toddlers — 7 g is appropriate for 18-month-olds)
• Suitable for the whole family; gentle enough for daily use during recovery
• Can be made sweet (rock sugar or honey dates) or savoury (with lean pork or quail)
• If a child has an active fever, focus on fever management first before this recovery soup

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Prince ginseng (tai zi shen): A mild, gentle qi tonic derived from the root of a Caryophyllaceae (carnation family) plant — not true ginseng. Traditionally associated with supporting energy, nourishing body fluids, and supporting the spleen and stomach. Considered safe for children with no heating side effects
• Snow ear fungus (xue er): Lung-moistening and immune-supporting; for young children, soak in clean water for 1 hour, discard the soaking water, and then use — this reduces any sulphur residue from processing
• Walnut kernels (he tao rou): Associated with brain, lung, and kidney support in food therapy; choose skinless walnuts to avoid bitterness
• Lily bulb (bai he): Calms the mind, eases anxiety and night crying, and moistens the lungs
• Sweet and bitter apricot kernels (nan bei xing): Supports lung function and eases cough
• Dried figs (wu hua guo): Gently lubricates the bowels, clears heat, and adds natural sweetness

Ingredients (3–4 bowls)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Prince ginseng (tai zi shen)	11 g (3 qian)	Rinse
Snow ear fungus (xue er)	11 g (3 qian)	Soak until soft; remove tough base. For young children, soak 1 hour, discard water
Walnut kernels	37 g (1 liang)	Rinse; use skinless variety if possible
Lily bulb	37 g (1 liang)	Soak and rinse
Sweet and bitter apricot kernels	37 g (1 liang)	Rinse
Dried figs	4 pieces	Halve
Water	7–8 bowls (~2 L)
Rock sugar or honey dates (optional)	To taste	For sweet version
Lean pork or quail (optional)	To taste	For savoury version

Method

1. Soak and rinse all ingredients separately; remove the base of the snow ear fungus after soaking.
2. For very young children, soak the snow ear in clean water for 1 hour and discard the soaking water before using, to reduce residual processing chemicals.
3. Combine all ingredients in a pot with 7–8 bowls of water.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour until reduced to 3–4 bowls.
5. For a sweet version, add rock sugar or honey dates; for a savoury version, add lean pork or quail from the start.
6. Serve warm; the whole family can drink it together.

Bro Niu’s tips

This soup is clean and lightly refreshing — not heavy or oily. For children who are fussy about taste, the sweet version with rock sugar (or honey dates in place of rock sugar) is usually well accepted. For very young children (18 months), use only 7 g of prince ginseng and keep the other ingredients proportionally smaller. Use skinless walnut kernels to avoid bitter notes. Prince ginseng is suitable for weekly use as a general wellness tonic even outside of illness — once or twice a week is fine for children.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Joyce): My 2-year-9-month-old just recovered from COVID (had high fever, no other symptoms). Can she drink this soup? What other soups would help? Bro Niu: Yes, your daughter can drink this soup now that she has tested negative. You can also make a papaya, apricot kernel, snow ear, and lily bulb sweet soup to clear heat and moisten the lungs — the whole family can enjoy it.

• Q (anonymous): For walnut soup, there’s always a slightly bitter taste. How can I get rid of it? Bro Niu: Buy the skinless (qu pi) walnut kernels — the bitterness comes mainly from the inner skin. Skinless walnuts make a much cleaner-tasting broth.

• Q (Yi, parent): Can I use honey instead of rock sugar to sweeten the soup? My child doesn’t like the taste. Bro Niu: You can use honey dates (mi zao) in place of rock sugar — they add natural sweetness without needing to add anything at the end.

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Published December 13, 2022 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.