Soups

Cordyceps Flower Snow Fungus Lily Conch Slice Soup

traditionally used to nourish the lungs, protect the liver, boost immunity, and ease dryness

In short: Cordyceps Flower Snow Fungus Lily Conch Slice Soup is a soup that traditionally used to nourish the lungs, protect the liver, boost immunity, and ease dryness. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, cooling & summer heat, liver wellness. Total time about 80 min. Key ingredients: lily bulb, goji berries.

Prep
20 min
Cook
60 min
Total
80 min
Makes
0.9–1.2 L
Cordyceps Flower Snow Fungus Lily Conch Slice Soup

Why people make this soup

The first hints of autumn arrive in late August — even when the days are still warm, there is something in the morning air that is different. That subtle shift is exactly when Cantonese families start thinking about moistening soups. Summer’s heat has a drying effect on the lungs, and as the season changes, the body benefits from ingredients that replenish moisture and nourish the respiratory system before the dry autumn weather sets in.

Cordyceps flower (chong cao hua) is the cultivated mycelium form of the Cordyceps fungus, grown without the wild caterpillar host. Its properties are considered similar to — though less potent than — wild Cordyceps sinensis, and it is widely available and affordable. Paired with snow fungus, lily bulb, and sweet almonds, this soup creates a beautifully moistening broth. The conch slices add an additional yin-nourishing quality and give the soup a pleasant seafood depth; lean pork or chicken are equally good substitutes.

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
  • Snow fungus · Randomized controlled trial · 2018
    The Tremella fuciformis groups showed greater improvements than placebo in subjective memory complaint scores, short-term memory and executive function tests. Adverse event frequency was similar across high-dose, low-dose and placebo groups.Limitation: Small sample with only 15 people in the placebo group and a short 8-week duration; the brain imaging findings were exploratory.PubMed 29319408
  • Goji berries · Meta-analysis, 161 participants · 2012
    Compared with placebo (n=80), the goji juice group (n=81) reported greater improvements in several self-rated symptoms, including stress, mental acuity, sleep quality and overall well-being, under a random effects model.Limitation: Outcomes were self-reported symptom questionnaires, and several symptoms showed significant heterogeneity across the four pooled trials of a single branded juice.PubMed 22897500 · 3 more goji berries studies

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

  • Goji berries: A few cases of raised INR (a bleeding-risk marker) have been reported in people taking warfarin after drinking concentrated goji tea or wine. If you take a blood thinner, check with your doctor. Source: Memorial Sloan Kettering — Lycium

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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