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Fresh Lotus Leaf, Red Bean and Winter Melon Soup

Traditionally used to clear heat, strengthen the spleen and help ward off seasonal illness

In short: Fresh Lotus Leaf, Red Bean and Winter Melon Soup is a soup that Traditionally used to clear heat, strengthen the spleen and help ward off seasonal illness. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, digestive wellness, cooling & summer heat. Total time about 55 min. Key ingredients: lotus leaf, winter melon.

By · Published under our editorial policy · Research library

Prep
15 min
Cook
40 min
Total
55 min
Makes
1.2–1.5 L
Respiratory & Lung WellnessDigestive WellnessCooling & Summer HeatOral & Throat Comfort
Fresh Lotus Leaf, Red Bean and Winter Melon Soup

Why people make this soup

Hand, foot and mouth disease tends to peak in warmer months, and children as well as the elderly are most susceptible. While good hygiene and avoiding crowded spaces remain the first line of defence, traditional Chinese medicine suggests that supporting the spleen, clearing internal heat and resolving dampness can help the body maintain resilience during these periods. The three organ systems most involved in this illness — the lungs, spleen and heart — can all be nurtured through everyday food choices.

Lotus leaf, adzuki beans, flat hyacinth beans, and winter melon are all classic heat-clearing, dampness-resolving ingredients that appear together repeatedly in Cantonese family cooking during summer. This soup is mild, pleasant to drink, and suitable for the whole family as a regular seasonal habit.

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.

  • Mung beans · Randomized crossover trial, 20 participants · 2019
    Breath hydrogen and methane were higher after wheat than after rice or mung bean noodles. Bloating scores after mung bean did not differ significantly from wheat, and mung bean produced gas levels similar to rice.Limitation: Small sample of 20 patients, with single meals tested rather than habitual intake, so longer-term effects of mung bean on symptoms are unknown.PubMed 31484315 · 1 more mung beans study
  • Adzuki beans · Randomized crossover trial, 10 participants · 2019
    Adzuki bean meals had a low glycemic index (21–51 range reported with lotus seed), whereas other starchy foods did not differ significantly from rice. Adzuki bean hydrolysis index was lower than other test foods.Limitation: Only ten healthy participants and acute single-meal responses, so effects in people with diabetes or with regular intake are unknown.PubMed 30875961 · 1 more adzuki beans study

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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