Barley, Mung Bean and Lily Bulb Sweet Soup

Why people make this sweet soup

Hot, sticky summer days call for something genuinely refreshing — and in traditional Cantonese food therapy, that usually means a cooling sweet soup rather than a cold drink. Nourilo recommends this combination of Job’s tears (a grain similar to barley), mung beans, and dried lily bulb as a go-to remedy for the heat and humidity of midsummer. The result is a light, clear, mildly sweet soup that cools without shocking the body.

What makes this version a little more thoughtful than a simple mung bean soup is the addition of lily bulb, which traditional food therapy associates with soothing the heart and easing restlessness, and a small piece of dried tangerine peel, which helps with digestion and prevents the cooling effect from becoming too harsh. It is a well-balanced bowl — refreshing and calming at the same time.