Cordyceps Flower and Chayote Vegetable Soup

Why people make this soup

Autumn and winter are the classic seasons for building yourself up, but Nourilo knows that some people run “yin-deficient with rising fire” — the moment they take a warming tonic, they feel heaty and out of sorts. They need something gentler. Cordyceps flower has long been called a “common-folk’s tonic”: affordable and mild in nature, traditionally taken to support the body’s defences and help fend off colds and seasonal sniffles.

Method

1. Soak and rinse the cordyceps flower, lotus seeds, lily bulb and snow fungus.
2. Peel and cut the chayote and water chestnuts into chunks.
3. Add everything to 2.1 L of water and simmer for 1 hour, reducing to about 1.2 L. Serve.

Nourilo’s Tips

Light and gently moistening, this soup is traditionally said to strengthen the spleen, open the appetite, clear heat and help the body release fluids. It is suitable for all ages.