Soups
Fresh Lily Bulb, Lotus Seed & Longan Soup
Traditionally calms the heart, nourishes the blood and settles the mind
Why people make this soup
Fresh lotus seeds and fresh lily bulbs are two “food-and-medicine” ingredients that make wonderful soups, sweet or savoury. Fresh lily bulb is traditionally used to calm the heart and settle the mind while nourishing yin and moistening the lung; fresh lotus seed is associated with settling the mind, supporting restful sleep and looking after the heart and blood vessels; and longan flesh is traditionally used to nourish the brain, enrich the blood and calm the spirit. Together they’re a classic comfort for an anxious mind and restless, broken sleep.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- People with a restless mind, anxiety or light, broken sleep
- Also traditionally suitable for those feeling run-down and nervously exhausted
- Longan is warming and can cause heatiness; pregnant women should not use longan — use 6 red dates or black dates instead
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Fresh lily bulb (xian bai he): traditionally calms the heart and mind and moistens the lung.
- Fresh lotus seed (xian lian zi): associated with settling the spirit, supporting sleep and looking after the heart.
- Longan flesh (yuan rou): traditionally nourishes the brain, enriches the blood and calms the spirit.
Ingredients (4 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh lily bulb | 1 | separated, washed |
| Fresh lotus seeds | ~113 g | cores removed |
| Dried longan flesh (yuan rou) | ~19 g | rinsed |
Method
- Separate the lily bulb into petals and wash.
- Remove the cores from the fresh lotus seeds.
- Rinse the longan flesh.
- Add all ingredients to 7 bowls of water and cook for 30 minutes down to 4 bowls. Eat the soup along with the ingredients.
Bro Niu’s tips
This soup works either savoury or sweet — for a sweet version add a little rock sugar; for savoury, cook with lean pork. It’s fine for young and old, and is also traditionally suitable for people with nervous exhaustion. One caution: longan is warming and can be heaty, so pregnant women should not use longan — substitute 6 red dates or black dates instead.
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (Anita Fong): Hello Bro Niu, after cooking fresh lily bulb in water, how long can it sit at room temperature? Bro Niu: Cooked fresh lily bulb can sit for about half a day. Wood ear and snow fungus, though, are best not left more than 4 hours.
- Q (Audrey): Bro Niu, my son has had a lot of eye discharge lately — in the morning his eyes are gummed half-shut, but they aren’t red. What soup can I make? Bro Niu: You can simply buy “xia sang ju” (self-heal, mulberry leaf and chrysanthemum) and steep 1–2 packs a day for 3 days. You can also make a soup with night-blooming cereus (ba wang hua) ~75 g, north-and-south almonds (nan bei xing) ~38 g and 1 carrot with pork; the whole family can drink it — it helps clear heat, moisten dryness and ease the “hot eyes.”
Published October 12, 2024 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.
