Coconut, Lotus Seed and Pork Rib Soup

Why people make this soup

When summer heat becomes oppressive and the body feels restless, irritable, and persistently thirsty, traditional food therapy turns to cooling, moistening ingredients. This soup uses fresh coconut flesh — mildly sweet, naturally cooling — alongside lotus seeds that have not had their inner core removed. That small green heart at the center of the lotus seed is bitter, but in traditional practice it is considered particularly effective at calming what is described as “heart fire”: the kind of restlessness, heat-related agitation, and poor sleep that flares up in hot weather. Fresh figs and almonds add gentle moistening and a natural sweetness to the broth. The result is a soup that is light but satisfying, and particularly well-suited to anyone who tends to run hot.