Cabbage, Job's Tears & Mung Bean Soup (with herbal wash for external use)

Why people make this

Eczema can be stubborn, miserable, and — especially in children — heartbreaking to watch. In Cantonese food therapy the underlying pattern in many cases is described as “damp heat” — an excess of heat and moisture in the body that pushes upward and outward to express as inflamed, itchy skin. The approach is therefore two-pronged: cool and drain from the inside with a simple everyday soup, and relieve the itch directly from the outside with a herbal wash.

The soup is straightforward enough to cook every other day and mild enough to share with the whole family. The external wash requires three herbs from a Chinese pharmacy, but the preparation is simple — just a brief simmer and strain. Bro Niu notes that starting at the very first sign of itching gives the fastest results.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suitable for: anyone with eczema, hives (urticaria), or general skin itching — regardless of age; the external wash is gentle enough for infants
• Eat the solid ingredients too, not just the broth
• The external wash: apply with cotton wool, gently dabbing the affected area, 3 times a day
• Start early — the sooner you begin when itching first appears, the faster the response

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

Internal soup:

• Chinese cabbage (bai cai): Clears heat, promotes fluid metabolism, and is anti-inflammatory; the gentlest green vegetable in this formula
• Job’s tears / coix seed (sheng yi mi): Widely studied; traditionally used to drain dampness, clear heat, and reduce inflammation; one of the main food-grade herbs for damp-heat skin conditions
• Mung beans (lu dou): Classic heat-clearing, detoxifying food; reduces the internal heat that contributes to inflammatory skin eruptions
• Dried figs (wu hua guo): Soothe the digestive system and add gentle sweetness; balance the cooling nature of the other ingredients

External wash:

• White dittany bark (bai xian pi): A key herb for skin itching in TCM; used to clear heat, drain dampness, and stop itch — one of the most important topical anti-itch herbs
• Kochia fruit (di fu zi): Another core anti-itch herb; clears damp heat and relieves localised pruritus
• Arborvitae leaf (ce bai ye): Clears heat and cools the blood; used in skin conditions with redness and itching

Ingredients

Internal soup (4 bowls):

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Chinese / napa cabbage	3 small heads	Rinse, cut into sections
Raw Job’s tears (coix seed)	~38 g	Soak and rinse
Mung beans	~75 g	Soak and rinse
Dried figs	3 pieces	Halved
Water	6 bowls (~1.2 L)

External wash (2–3 applications):

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
White dittany bark (bai xian pi)	~19 g	Rinse
Kochia fruit (di fu zi)	~19 g	Rinse
Arborvitae leaf (ce bai ye)	~19 g	Rinse
Water	4 bowls (~800 mL)

Method

Internal soup:

1. Soak mung beans and Job’s tears for 20 minutes; drain.
2. Rinse and chop the cabbage into sections; halve the dried figs.
3. Place all ingredients in a pot with 6 bowls of water.
4. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1 hour.
5. Serve warm, eating the solids along with the broth.

External wash:

1. Rinse all three herbs briefly.
2. Place in a pot with 4 bowls of water; bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Strain the liquid and allow to cool to a comfortable temperature.
4. Dip a piece of cotton wool into the herbal liquid and gently dab onto the itchy or affected skin. Do not rub.
5. Apply 3 times a day.

Bro Niu’s tips

This combination of internal soup and external wash is effective for eczema, wind rash (urticaria), and general skin itching. Starting at the very first sign of itching gives the best results — the earlier the better. The external wash is safe and gentle enough for infants with eczema. Use a cotton swab or cotton wool to apply; never rub or scratch the skin while applying. The external wash is for topical use only — do not drink it.

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Published January 13, 2019 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.