Soups
Fresh Yam, Lotus Seed, Lily Bulb, Almond and Pork-Lung Soup
Traditionally used to moisten the lungs and settle a restless mind
Why people make this soup
Paired with fresh yam, fresh lotus seed and lily bulb, this soup is traditionally enjoyed to support digestion and the lungs, and is a kind choice for anyone with a weak spleen-stomach who feels restless or sleeps poorly. A single pork lung makes a generous pot — it splits nicely over two batches of soup. Fresh lotus seeds, available at Chinese or Asian grocers when in season, make the broth wonderfully sweet.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- People with a weaker spleen-stomach who tire easily, cough readily, or feel restless and sleepless.
- Also valued by those with a tendency to dry coughing or sluggish digestion.
- If you tend toward hard, dry stools, see Bro Niu’s tip below before adding yam and lotus seed; if a cough or sleep trouble persists, please see a doctor.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Fresh yam (xian huai shan): Traditionally used to support the spleen-stomach and the lungs, and to generate fluids.
- Fresh lotus seed (xian lian zi): Associated with easing the heart, supporting restful sleep and a clear head.
- Lily bulb (bai he): Traditionally used to moisten the lungs, ease coughing and settle the mind.
- Apricot kernels (nan bei xing): Long valued to moisten the lungs and ease coughing.
- Pork lung (zhu fei): A traditional “like nourishes like” base for a lung-supporting soup.
Ingredients (4–5 bowls / 1 pot)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh yam | ~150 g | Peel, cut into chunks |
| Fresh lotus seeds | ~75 g | Remove the core, rinse |
| Lily bulb | ~40 g | Soak, rinse |
| Apricot kernels | ~19 g | Soak, rinse |
| Pork lung | half | Clean, cut, blanch |
| Lean pork | ~225 g | Blanch |
Method
- Peel and cut the yam; core and rinse the lotus seeds; soak and rinse the lily bulb and apricot kernels.
- Clean and cut the pork lung, then blanch; blanch the lean pork.
- Put everything in 9 bowls of water and simmer 2 hours down to 4–5 bowls. Serve.
Bro Niu’s tips
Sweet and tasty, suitable for young and old; also valued by those with a weaker chest or sluggish digestion. If you tend toward hard, dry stools, hold off on yam and lotus seed — first try a soup such as night-blooming-cereus (ba wang hua) with carrot and corn, and add the yam and lotus seed only once things have eased.
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (m): How much dried lotus seed and yam should I use? I have a dry mouth and hard stools — can I add fig, corn or fu shen? Bro Niu: With hard stools it’s actually better not to use lotus seed or yam yet. First cook a soup of night-blooming-cereus, carrot and corn; once the stools improve, then use yam and lotus seed — about 1 tael of the dried form.
- Q (Duo Duo): My 3.5-year-old has had a stubborn cough from bronchitis, with clear runny nose and phlegm (can’t yet spit it out), recurring fevers, and wakes at night startled and sweaty. Any soup or tea to help? Bro Niu: For night sweats (a yin-deficiency sign) you can cook fu xiao mai 5 qian, black beans 1 tael and 6 black dates in 5 bowls of water down to 2, split over the day. For phlegm, a drink of one preserved-tangerine cake, one cored apple (or 7 slices dried pear) and one dried tangerine peel in 5 bowls of water down to 2 helps loosen it. Take 2 doses each.
Published March 24, 2024 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.
