Qingbuliang Pork Rib Soup

Why people make this soup

When dry autumn and winter weather arrives, many people notice their lips crack, their throat feels scratchy, and their mood turns irritable — signs that traditional Chinese food therapy associates with “internal dryness.” Nourilo points out an easy mistake: reaching for cold bitter herbal teas may actually make the dryness worse. Qingbuliang — which translates loosely as “clear, nourish, and cool” — is a more balanced approach: a gentle, time-honoured blend designed to moisten from within rather than simply push heat out. Pre-packaged versions exist in supermarkets, but Nourilo encourages buying the individual ingredients from a good herb shop — the quality difference in flavour and effect is noticeable.

Method

1. Blanch the pork ribs in boiling water for 2–3 minutes; drain and set aside.
2. Rinse and briefly soak all herb ingredients in cool water.
3. Place all ingredients into a pot with 2.4 L of water.
4. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
5. Cook for 2 hours until the liquid reduces to approximately 1.2 L.
6. Serve warm; eat the soup solids along with the broth.

Nourilo’s Tips

• This soup works well with fresh fish instead of pork ribs, or can be made without meat and sweetened with rock sugar as a dessert soup.
• Suitable for the whole family — young and old alike.
• When using coix seeds from a pre-packaged blend, check whether they are the hulled variety (yi ren / pearl barley) or the Chinese fresh-and-cooked mix (sheng shu yi mi). The Chinese variety is considered more medicinally effective for supporting the spleen.
• Adding a piece of aged tangerine peel and a small amount of codonopsis (tai zi shen) makes the soup even better suited to children and those with a delicate spleen.
• Do not drink during an active cold or flu.