Black Bean, Tribulus, Goji & Chrysanthemum Pork Liver Soup

Why people make this soup

Many of us spend hours in front of screens every day, and the eyes pay the price — redness, wateriness, that burning sensation late in the afternoon. In traditional Chinese food therapy, prolonged eye strain is often linked to the liver, which is said to “open to the eyes.” When the liver is overworked or when its fire flares — from stress, too little sleep, or simply staring at a screen all day — the eyes feel it first. This soup combines a little-known but very useful herb, tribulus fruit (bai ji li), with the classic pairing of goji and chrysanthemum to calm that liver fire and help the eyes feel more rested.

Method

1. Rinse and briefly soak the goji berries, tribulus fruit, and black soybeans. Drain.
2. Wash the pork liver thoroughly, then slice it into thin pieces.
3. Bring water to a boil in a pot. Add the pork liver, goji berries, tribulus fruit, and black soybeans.
4. Reduce heat and simmer for about 2 hours.
5. In the final 5 minutes, add the chrysanthemum flowers. Do not cook the chrysanthemum too long — brief steeping preserves its fragrant compounds.
6. Serve warm; enjoy both the soup and the solid ingredients.

Nourilo’s Tips

Tribulus fruit (bai ji li) is good for more than just eye complaints — it also has a mild blood-pressure-lowering effect, so this soup is especially suitable for people with slightly elevated blood pressure, as well as children with eye allergies or itching. If you prefer to skip pork liver, swap it for one carrot — just add a tiny drizzle of cooking oil when serving to help your body absorb the fat-soluble vitamin A from the carrot.