Soups
Yin Chen, Adzuki Bean & Mung Bean Soup
traditionally used to clear liver heat, resolve dampness, and support liver function
Why people make this soup
As the weather turns warm and humid in late winter and spring, it becomes easy for dampness to accumulate inside the body — especially for people who sit most of the day, move little, and tend to eat cold, sweet, or fried foods. When internal dampness combines with the external damp-heat of the season, the result is a familiar sluggishness: that heavy-headed, groggy feeling where even a full night of sleep leaves you tired. For those who also stay up late, or have liver function concerns (liver inflammation, fatty liver, or elevated liver enzymes), Bro Niu recommends this soup: three humble, inexpensive ingredients that together are traditionally associated with clearing liver heat, easing dampness, and lifting that foggy, heavy feeling.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Suits those who feel heavy-headed, fatigued, or foggy; those prone to mouth sores, skin breakouts, or facial puffiness
- Also traditionally associated with supporting people with liver heat patterns: yellowish complexion, lower-limb swelling, or damp-related discomfort
- Suitable for children (young children can drink it too)
- Those with a cold, weak spleen-stomach constitution (cold deficiency pattern) should not drink this frequently; if you add dried tangerine peel, ginger, and some dried fish (bai ji fish / zi fish), it reduces the cooling nature and becomes more suitable for weaker constitutions
- Rock sugar or slab sugar can be added for flavour
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Yin chen (mian yin chen / Artemisia capillaris): One of the foremost herbs in Chinese medicine for clearing liver and gallbladder heat and damp-heat jaundice; fragrant and mild in taste.
- Small adzuki beans (chi xiao dou): Diuretic and dampness-resolving; smaller and more intensely flavoured than large red kidney beans; traditionally associated with clearing heat and reducing mild oedema.
- Mung beans (lv dou): Clear heat and detoxify; a classic summer and spring cooling food throughout East and Southeast Asia.
Ingredients (3–4 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Yin chen (mian yin chen) | 5 qian (~19 g) | Available at Chinese herb shops |
| Small adzuki beans (chi xiao dou) | 1 liang (~38 g) | Soak for 30 minutes before cooking |
| Mung beans (lv dou) | 1 liang (~38 g) | Soak for 30 minutes before cooking |
| Water | 7 bowls | ~1.4 L |
| Rock sugar or slab sugar | To taste | Optional |
Method
- Rinse yin chen under cold water.
- Soak adzuki beans and mung beans in cold water for 30 minutes; drain.
- Combine all ingredients with 7 bowls of water in a pot.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
- Cook for 1 hour until reduced to 3–4 bowls.
- Add rock sugar or slab sugar to taste if desired, stir to dissolve, and serve.
Bro Niu’s tips
- The soup is light, fragrant, and not heavily medicinal — perfectly pleasant to drink.
- To reduce the cooling nature for weaker constitutions: add dried tangerine peel (chen pi), a couple of slices of ginger, and some dried fish; you can also add lean pork for a heartier meal soup.
- Fresh earth tuckahoe root (tu fu ling) can be added if dampness is severe.
- If you know you have a cold spleen-stomach constitution, do not use this soup — try a cloud poria, white atractylodes, and flat bean coat water (yun ling, bai zhu, bian dou yi shui) for dampness instead.
Community questions answered (selected)
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Q (yannis): Can I add a little rock sugar or slab sugar to this soup? Bro Niu: Yes, either rock sugar or slab sugar is fine — no problem.
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Q (Jenny1010): Should I drink this continuously for it to work? I have persistent acne. Bro Niu: For persistent acne you can drink this soup — consume it for 3 days in a row.
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Q (Joey): How do I know if I have a “spleen-stomach cold deficiency” constitution? Bro Niu: People with spleen-stomach cold deficiency tend to have easy bloating, weak digestion, abdominal discomfort relieved by pressure or warmth, preference for warm drinks, cold limbs, and sometimes puffy limbs or frequent pale urination.
Published March 2, 2018 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.
