Soups
Mung Bean, Job's Tears, Yin Chen and Da Qing Ye Soup
Traditionally taken to clear heat and toxins during recovery after shingles
Why people make this soup
Bro Niu is careful here: shingles is not something to manage with soup alone. The virus that causes it can hide in the body for years and flare when immunity drops or stress runs high. When shingles strikes, you must see a doctor and start treatment within the golden 72 hours to avoid lingering nerve pain. This soup is only for the recovery phase — for those who have come through shingles but are left with aches and discomfort.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- For people recovering after shingles who still feel body-wide aches and discomfort, as a supportive food-therapy measure alongside medical care.
- Not suitable for people with a cold, weak stomach, or for pregnant women. If you tend to feel cold, add 2 pieces of dried tangerine peel. Shingles itself must be seen by a doctor.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Mung bean (lü dou) and raw Job’s tears (sheng yi mi): traditionally used to clear heat and resolve damp.
- Yin chen / capillary wormwood (mian yin chen) and da qing ye / isatis leaf (da qing ye): classically associated with clearing heat and toxins.
- Honey dates (mi zao): soften the bitterness and round out the taste.
Ingredients (2 bowls, one day’s portion)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mung beans | ~38 g | Soaked and rinsed |
| Raw Job’s tears | ~38 g | Soaked and rinsed |
| Yin chen | ~11 g | Soaked and rinsed |
| Da qing ye | ~11 g | Soaked and rinsed |
| Honey dates | 2 |
Method
- Soak and rinse the ingredients separately.
- Put everything in a pot with 5–6 bowls of water and simmer for 1 hour until reduced to about 2 bowls. Divide and drink over the day.
Bro Niu’s tips
This soup is slightly bitter and has a good heat-clearing, detoxifying action, but you need to drink several batches before it shows. People with a cold, weak stomach and pregnant women should not take it. If you find it too cooling, add 2 pieces of dried tangerine peel.
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (Penny): My father had shingles half a year ago and still feels stabbing pain; Chinese medicine helped only a little and gave him diarrhoea. The soup notes say it is unsuitable for a cold, weak stomach. What else can you suggest? Bro Niu: If the golden 72 hours were missed, the virus reaching the nerves can cause pain for quite a while. He can drink the soup shown here, three batches in a row; if he is sensitive to cold, add 2 pieces of dried tangerine peel. Separately, simmer 1–2 apples, ~11 g goji and 6 red dates in water for 20 minutes and drink — this helps support overall vitality.
- Q (Johnny): My wife (52, just entering menopause) was diagnosed with shingles at the trigeminal nerve near her eye and is under Western treatment. What soup should I make afterward? Bro Niu: First make whatever soup she finds easy to drink, since shingles — especially on the face — is very hard. Try fresh imperatae root (1 bundle), 1 sliced carrot, 6–8 water chestnuts, ~38 g raw Job’s tears and rock sugar in 7 bowls of water reduced to 4, split over 2 days, two batches. It does not clash with the Western medicine. Once her medication is finished, use fresh purslane simmered with mung bean to help calm inflammation.
Published January 17, 2024 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.
