Soups
Watercress, South Almond, Carrot & Dried-Tangerine Soup
traditionally used to clear heat and moisten the lung
Why people make this soup
I love folding minced pork through chopped watercress for dumplings — fragrant and tasty — and when I’ve bought too much, watercress soup is the best way to clear lung-and-stomach heat. It pairs beautifully with luo han guo in a snakehead-fish soup, or with carrot and aged duck gizzard in a pork-rib soup, both kindly to people with a dry-lung cough or bronchitis. Today I bought a catty of watercress, blanched it briefly to take off some of the bitterness, chopped the tender leaves for egg dumplings, and used the rest with carrot, almond and dried-tangerine cake for a clear, moistening soup — lovely for those with lots of phlegm, a cough, or bronchitis.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Suits old and young; good for poor digestion, weak appetite, and a heaty cough with phlegm.
- Eaten together with the soup ingredients, its fibre helps move the bowels and ease constipation.
- Use apricot kernels in modest amounts and cook well; keep away from young children.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Watercress (xi yang cai): traditionally associated with clearing lung-and-stomach heat.
- South almond (nan xing): used to moisten the lung and calm a cough.
- Carrot (gan sun): adds natural sweetness and nourishment.
- Dried-tangerine cake (jie bing): lends fragrance and helps soothe a cough.
Ingredients (4 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Watercress (xi yang cai) | ~300 g (half catty) | rinsed, blanched briefly |
| South almond (nan xing) | ~37 g (1 tael) | |
| Carrot (gan sun) | 1 | peeled, cut |
| Dried-tangerine cake (jie bing) | 1 | cut |
Method
- Rinse the watercress and blanch it briefly in boiling water, then lift out.
- Peel and chunk the carrot; cut the dried-tangerine cake.
- Put everything in 6–7 bowls of water and simmer for 1 hour until reduced to 4 bowls.
Bro Niu’s tips
This soup is clear and moistening — good for poor digestion, a weak appetite, and a heaty cough with phlegm; old and young can drink it. Eat the soup ingredients along with the broth: the rich dietary fibre helps the bowels move and eases constipation.
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (anonymous): You once taught a remedy for urinary-tract inflammation using carrot, imperata root and corn silk simmered together — I forget the one other ingredient. I made it for my son years ago; it tasted good and worked. Bro Niu: You can add about 37 g of raw Job’s-tears (sheng yi mi) to the soup ingredients — it helps ease inflammation and promote urination. Blueberries are in season now, so eat more of them; they’re good against urinary-tract inflammation, and cranberries are even better.
Published March 27, 2026 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.
