Soups

Burdock Root, Adzuki Bean, and Mung Bean Soup

traditionally used to clear heat, support the body's natural processes, and ease the feeling of swelling during seasonal discomfort

In short: Burdock Root, Adzuki Bean, and Mung Bean Soup is a soup that traditionally used to clear heat, support the body's natural processes, and ease the feeling of swelling during seasonal discomfort. It is most often made for cooling & summer heat, children's wellness. Total time about 1 hr. Key ingredients: burdock root, adzuki beans, mung beans, honey dates.

Prep
15 min
Cook
45 min
Total
1 hr
Makes
600–900 ml
Burdock Root, Adzuki Bean, and Mung Bean Soup

Why people make this soup

Mumps — known in Cantonese as “cha sai” (痄腮) — peaks in winter and spring. The classic presentation is sudden fever and tender swelling of the parotid glands at the sides of the jaw. Most children recover without complication, but traditional food therapy has long offered supportive measures to keep the body comfortable and help the immune system cope.

This soup has no herbal bitterness — burdock root, adzuki beans, and mung beans are ordinary, accessible foods that make a pleasant, lightly sweet broth. The honey dates (mi zao) keep it palatable for children. The broth can also be used as a base for porridge, which is gentler on the stomach for a child who is unwell.

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.

  • Burdock root · Randomized controlled trial, 60 participants · 2026
    Compared with placebo, root powder was associated with higher superoxide dismutase and catalase, lower malondialdehyde and C-reactive protein, and smaller ovarian volumes. Hirsutism and menstrual frequency results are not reported in the abstract.Limitation: Small single-centre trial of 60 women, recruited by convenience sampling. The 460 mg/day dose is much smaller than typical food intake.PubMed 41757842 · 2 more burdock root studies
  • Adzuki beans · Randomized crossover trial, 10 participants · 2019
    Adzuki bean meals had a low glycemic index (21–51 range reported with lotus seed), whereas other starchy foods did not differ significantly from rice. Adzuki bean hydrolysis index was lower than other test foods.Limitation: Only ten healthy participants and acute single-meal responses, so effects in people with diabetes or with regular intake are unknown.PubMed 30875961 · 1 more adzuki beans study
  • Mung beans · Randomized crossover trial, 20 participants · 2019
    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

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

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