Soups
Barley, Mung Bean and Lily Bulb Sweet Soup
traditionally helps clear summer heat, drain dampness, and calm the mind
In short: Barley, Mung Bean and Lily Bulb Sweet Soup is a soup that traditionally helps clear summer heat, drain dampness, and calm the mind. It is most often made for cooling & summer heat, sleep & calm, everyday balance. Total time about 3 hr. Key ingredients: mung beans, lily bulb, tangerine peel, rock sugar.
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.
What studies say about the key ingredients
Traditional use is not the same as clinical proof. Here is the strongest human research we found for each ingredient, limitations included.
- Job's tears (coix)
Myeloperoxidase activity rose significantly in the placebo group after 8 weeks but showed no significant change in the adlay tea group. Vascular endothelial function improved in the adlay group, especially in those over 40.Limitation: Participants were healthy adults and the outcomes were surrogate markers, so the results say little about clinical disease outcomes. Tea is a polyphenol-rich extract, not whole grain.PubMed 38945894 · 2 more job's tears (coix) studies - Mung beans
Breath hydrogen and methane were higher after wheat than after rice or mung bean noodles. Bloating scores after mung bean did not differ significantly from wheat, and mung bean produced gas levels similar to rice.Limitation: Small sample of 20 patients, with single meals tested rather than habitual intake, so longer-term effects of mung bean on symptoms are unknown.PubMed 31484315 · 1 more mung beans study - Tangerine peel
The tangerine peel drink group showed significant reductions in body weight and triglycerides after the intervention compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Safety markers showed no adverse effects. Gut microbiota and serum metabolite profiles also differed.Limitation: Small pilot trial with only 55 of 72 participants completing. The fermented product is not the same as plain tangerine peel, and the control group is not described.PubMed 40225325
From the Nourilo Research Library. Findings come from specific doses, extracts and populations and may not apply to a home-cooked recipe.
Safety first — read before you cook
This is a traditional food, not a treatment. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before making it a regular part of your diet if you:
- are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are cooking for a young child;
- take regular medicines — especially blood thinners, blood-pressure, diabetes or immune-suppressing drugs;
- have a kidney, liver or heart condition, or a known food allergy.
Stop eating it and seek advice if you notice an allergic reaction or feel unwell. Safety notes reviewed 8 October 2026 · How we write safety notes
Members only
Unlock the full method & Nourilo's tips
One payment, lifetime access to every one of our 2,344 recipes — step-by-step methods, preparation tips and serving notes.
- Full step-by-step method for this and all 2,344 recipes
- Nourilo's Tips — sourcing, substitutions and serving notes
- One-time payment · card, Apple Pay or Google Pay · no subscription, no renewals
Checking your access…
$59.99 one-time · all recipes
Sign in or create a free account, then pay once by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Continue with GoogleBy continuing with Google or email you confirm you are 16 or older and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
$59.99 one-time · all recipes
Signed in as ·
Secure checkout by Stripe. One-time payment, no renewals. Access is linked to your Nourilo account and never expires. By paying you agree to our Terms of Use; you can get a full refund within 14 days (refund policy).
Comments
Join the conversation — sign in or create a free account to comment.
Continue with GoogleBy continuing with Google or email you confirm you are 16 or older and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Loading comments…