Soups

Chuan Bei, Lingzhi, Cordyceps and Gecko Soup

Traditionally warms the kidney, supports the lungs and eases cough and wheeze

In short: Chuan Bei, Lingzhi, Cordyceps and Gecko Soup is a soup that Traditionally warms the kidney, supports the lungs and eases cough and wheeze. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, children's wellness, kidney & urinary wellness. Total time about 3 hr 15 min. Key ingredients: lean pork, tangerine peel, boiling water.

Prep
15 min
Cook
3 hr
Total
3 hr 15 min
Makes
600–900 ml
Chuan Bei, Lingzhi, Cordyceps and Gecko Soup

Why people make this soup

Nourilo tells of an old friend he hadn’t seen in years, now glowing and full of energy — utterly different from before, when asthma kept her up whole nights, unable even to lie down without wheezing. Someone suggested she gently double-boil a little cordyceps daily; she did so for the better part of a year and stopped having attacks. So, where budget allows, those with a weak, wheezy chronic cough sometimes turn to richer tonic ingredients like cordyceps, lingzhi and these. This soup is traditionally used to warm the kidney, support the lungs, and settle a chronic cough and wheeze.

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.

  • Cordyceps flower · Randomized controlled trial · 2015
    Compared with placebo capsules, the C. militaris group had greater increases from baseline in NK cell activity, lymphocyte proliferation, IL-2 and IFN-γ. No statistically significant adverse reactions were reported.Limitation: Only healthy men were studied, for 4 weeks, with 39 and 40 per group. Findings are immune-marker changes rather than clinical outcomes, and the capsules were an ethanol-treated preparation.PubMed 26284906 · 2 more cordyceps flower studies
  • Tangerine peel · Randomized controlled trial, 72 participants · 2025
    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.

Ingredient notes for this recipe

  • Apricot kernels: Raw apricot kernels contain amygdalin, which turns into cyanide after eating. EFSA estimates that half of one small raw kernel can exceed the safe level for a toddler. Use no more than the recipe states, never eat them raw, and do not serve them to young children. Source: European Food Safety Authority

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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