Night-Blooming Cereus, Carrot and Dried Duck Gizzard Soup

Why people make this soup

When autumn turns dry, a lot of folks notice their throat scratching and a tickly cough creeping in. Nourilo likes this old-fashioned pot because dried night-blooming cereus, simmered slowly with carrot, fig and dried duck gizzard, makes a soup that feels clean and moistening — the kind of bowl you reach for on a crisp, dry evening. Fresh cereus is available, but it turns the broth slippery and is colder in nature, so for home cooking the steamed-and-dried flower is the gentler choice.