Soups
Winter Melon, Fresh Lotus Seed and Wild Duck Soup
Traditionally nourishes yin, supports the stomach and clears heat
Why people make this soup
Passing a supermarket one day, I found a fresh batch of frozen wild duck on special — and it was genuinely fresh. Most frozen wild duck these days is farmed rather than truly wild, but at least it isn’t as fatty as ordinary table duck. Simmered with winter melon and fresh lotus seeds, this soup is traditionally taken to nourish yin, support the stomach and clear heat — a good choice for people who are short on sleep or feel an “overheated, yin-deficient” warmth.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- People who feel run-down, low on sleep, or warm-and-dry inside (yin-deficient)
- Helpful for poor appetite after illness and for mild puffiness in traditional terms
- Suitable during pregnancy (you may remove the duck skin)
- If you can’t get fresh lotus seeds, dried ones are fine
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Wild duck (shui ya): traditionally cooling and nourishing, richer in some nutrients than table duck and well suited to those who are “yin-deficient with thin blood.”
- Winter melon (dong gua): cooling, traditionally clears heat and supports healthy fluid balance; cook with the skin on.
- Fresh lotus seeds (xian lian zi): light and nourishing; remove the bitter core before cooking.
- Dried scallop (yao zhu): adds umami sweetness.
Ingredients (4–5 servings)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Winter melon | ~600 g | With skin, rinsed and cut into chunks |
| Fresh lotus seeds | ~76 g | Cores removed (or ~38 g dried) |
| Wild duck | 1 | Cut up and blanched |
| Ginger | 2 slices | |
| Dried scallop | 3 |
Method
- Rinse the winter melon (keep the skin) and cut into chunks. Remove the bitter cores from the fresh lotus seeds.
- Cut up the wild duck and blanch it.
- Put everything in a pot with 8 bowls of water.
- Simmer for about 3 hours, then enjoy the soup and the solids together.
Bro Niu’s tips
Wild duck and table duck are nutritionally similar, but wild duck tends to be richer in vitamins and minerals, making it especially suitable for those who are yin-deficient with thin blood. This soup is traditionally regarded as helpful for poor appetite after illness, mild fluid puffiness, and an overheated yin-deficient feeling.
Community questions answered (selected)
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Q (Mabel): Should I keep the duck skin on? Can I drink this while pregnant? And is dried lotus seed okay if I can’t find fresh? Bro Niu: You can remove the duck skin. This soup is suitable during pregnancy, and dried lotus seeds are perfectly fine.
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Q (Becky): Can I use another meat instead of wild duck? Bro Niu: You can substitute lean pork or dried (aged) duck gizzard.
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Q (reader): The wild-duck skin has many fine pin-feathers — do I need to pluck them all before cooking? Bro Niu: The fine feathers on wild-duck skin are very hard to remove completely. If the skin looks unusually clean and smooth you should actually be wary (it may have been treated). If the feathered skin bothers you, simply remove it — the soup will be leaner and healthier.
Published August 11, 2011 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.
