Soups
Five-Colour Bean and Burdock Soup
Traditionally nourishes the five organs and supports the complexion and throat
In short: Five-Colour Bean and Burdock Soup is a soup that Traditionally nourishes the five organs and supports the complexion and throat. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, skin & natural beauty, everyday balance. Total time about 6 hr. Key ingredients: burdock root, figs, aged tangerine peel, lean pork.
Why people make this soup
Nourilo picked up a bag of five-colour kidney beans at the food expo — pretty patterned beans that are lovely in soup, congee or sweet desserts. There’s an old Chinese saying that “the five colours enter the five organs,” so he paired the colourful beans with fresh burdock root and dried figs over pork shin for a soup traditionally said to nourish the whole body, support the complexion and soothe the throat.
What studies say about the key ingredients
Traditional use is not the same as clinical proof. Here is the strongest human research we found for each ingredient, limitations included.
- Burdock root
Compared with placebo, root powder was associated with higher superoxide dismutase and catalase, lower malondialdehyde and C-reactive protein, and smaller ovarian volumes. Hirsutism and menstrual frequency results are not reported in the abstract.Limitation: Small single-centre trial of 60 women, recruited by convenience sampling. The 460 mg/day dose is much smaller than typical food intake.PubMed 41757842 · 2 more burdock root studies - Tangerine peel
The tangerine peel drink group showed significant reductions in body weight and triglycerides after the intervention compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Safety markers showed no adverse effects. Gut microbiota and serum metabolite profiles also differed.Limitation: Small pilot trial with only 55 of 72 participants completing. The fermented product is not the same as plain tangerine peel, and the control group is not described.PubMed 40225325
From the Nourilo Research Library. Findings come from specific doses, extracts and populations and may not apply to a home-cooked recipe.
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.
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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