Dried Lychee, White Peony and Lily Bulb Soup

Why people make this soup

Fresh lychees come into season in abundance, and while they are a wonderful summer fruit, Nourilo is careful to note that eating too many on an empty stomach — particularly in one sitting — can cause a spike in blood sugar severe enough to be dangerous. Five to six at a time is a sensible limit. Dried lychees, on the other hand, are a more concentrated and shelf-stable ingredient that keeps their nutritional value even when the fresh fruit is out of season. In Chinese food therapy, lychee is associated with nourishing the liver and spleen, moving qi, supporting blood health, warming the digestion and calming the heart-mind. Combined with white peony root — one of the most widely used herbs for soothing a “stagnant” or overworked liver — and lily bulb, which has a long tradition in Chinese herbalism as a gentle mind-calming herb, this soup is intended for people who feel emotionally tight, easily irritated, unable to sleep properly or low in spirits. Chrysanthemum adds a brightening, heat-dispersing quality and gives the finished soup a light, pleasant fragrance.

Method

1. Shell the dried lychees and remove the flesh. (The kernel can be left in if available — it contributes qi-moving properties.)
2. Rinse and soak the white peony root and lily bulb briefly.
3. Rinse the chrysanthemum flowers.
4. Place the dried lychee flesh, white peony root and lily bulb in a pot with 1.8 L of cold water.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for 40 minutes.
6. Add the chrysanthemum flowers and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
7. Strain and serve warm.

Nourilo’s Tips

The lychee kernel has its own traditional role — associated with moving qi, dispersing stagnation and reducing pain — so including it in the soup adds an extra dimension. Fresh lychees can be used in the same recipe (6 to 8 pieces), with the kernel left in. A practical caution about fresh lychees that Nourilo always emphasises: do not eat large quantities on an empty stomach. The very high sugar concentration can cause a sudden blood glucose spike — what Chinese medicine would call “hyperosmolar crisis” — which is genuinely dangerous. Enjoy fresh lychees in small quantities with other food.