Soups
Ginkgo, Almond, Dried Cabbage and Pork Lung Soup
Traditionally used to settle a phlegmy cough and wheeze in dry weather
Why people make this soup
Ginkgo nuts are one of Bro Niu’s favourite cheap-and-cheerful pantry helpers — humble in price but traditionally prized for steadying the lung qi and quieting a cough with phlegm. In dry autumn-into-winter weather he likes to pair them with apricot kernels in a dried-cabbage-and-pork-lung soup. The broth comes out fresh and naturally sweet, a genuinely good seasonal pot.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Good for people troubled by a wet, phlegmy cough or wheeze; fine for young and old.
- Ginkgo is mildly toxic — keep to safe amounts (adults under ~15 nuts, children under 5), and always remove shell and green core.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Ginkgo nuts (bai guo): traditionally used to gather the lung qi and reduce phlegm and wheeze.
- Apricot kernels (nan xing): classic partners for a lung-moistening, cough-settling soup.
- Dried cabbage (bai cai gan): gives the soup its clean, sweet backbone.
- Pork lung (zhu fei): the traditional “like nourishes like” base for lung soups.
Ingredients (5–6 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ginkgo nuts | 20 | shelled, cored |
| Sweet apricot kernels | ~38 g | rinsed |
| Dried cabbage | ~38 g | soaked, washed, cut |
| Pork lung | half | rinsed, cut, blanched |
| Pork ribs | ~300 g | blanched |
Method
- Shell and core the ginkgo nuts.
- Soak and wash the dried cabbage well; cut into sections.
- Rinse the pork lung, cut into pieces, blanch, then optionally dry-pan it in a clean wok.
- Blanch the pork ribs.
- Add everything to 9–10 bowls of water and simmer 2 hours down to 5–6 bowls. Eat the soup with the ingredients.
Bro Niu’s tips
Cleaning pork lung takes time. Many butchers will rinse it for you for a small fee — then you just cut it, blanch it at home, and you are done. Whatever you do not use freezes well. And do mind the ginkgo limits above.
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (Xuan): My 10-year-old coughs often; the doctor says it is throat inflammation. How can I help with food? Bro Niu: For an inflamed throat try a quarter luo han guo, half a candied tangerine (jie bing), apricot kernels 5 qian and one dried tangerine peel in 5 bowls of water, simmered half an hour to 2 bowls — twice a week.
- Q (Vinstal): My 4-year-old keeps catching coughs and fevers monthly and has weak resistance. After clearing the phlegm, what can build him up? Bro Niu: Hu ru ling zhi is especially good for children with weak lung qi. Use ~11 g with huai shan, fu ling, lotus seed and qian shi (each ~19 g) in a red-date soup with quail or partridge, once or twice a week — the whole family can drink it.
- Q (Ming): I have vaginal discharge and a sore lower back, and tend to run hot above and cold below. What helps? Bro Niu: Try du zhong 5 qian, ginkgo 15 nuts (cored), qian shi ~38 g, 5 red dates and one tangerine peel in a lean-pork soup; it helps the discharge and, being kidney-supporting, eases the back.
Published October 23, 2023 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.
