Soups
Water Chestnut, Fig & Apricot Seed Lean Pork Soup
traditionally used to clear heat, resolve phlegm, and relieve a dry, sore throat
In short: Water Chestnut, Fig & Apricot Seed Lean Pork Soup is a soup that traditionally used to clear heat, resolve phlegm, and relieve a dry, sore throat. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, cooling & summer heat, oral & throat comfort. Total time about 105 min. Key ingredients: water chestnuts, figs, lean pork.
Why people make this soup
After a run of fried chicken, spicy hot pot, or late-night snacks, many people wake up with a parched throat and that sticky, unpleasant feeling that just won’t clear. This light, naturally sweet soup has been a go-to in Cantonese households for exactly that moment. Water chestnuts cool things down, figs moisten and soften the throat, and the classic nan bei xing (sweet and bitter apricot seed) combination does the quiet work of loosening stubborn phlegm. It is particularly well-suited to what Chinese medicine describes as “phlegm-heat” — a thick, hard-to-shift phlegm that comes with a warm or inflamed feeling rather than the watery, clear phlegm of a simple cold.
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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