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Fresh Lotus Leaf, Winter Melon, Red Bean and Pork Rib Soup

Traditionally used to clear summer heat, reduce dampness, relieve fatigue, and support healthy fluid balance

In short: Fresh Lotus Leaf, Winter Melon, Red Bean and Pork Rib Soup is a soup that Traditionally used to clear summer heat, reduce dampness, relieve fatigue, and support healthy fluid balance. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, cooling & summer heat, energy & vitality. Total time about 2 hr 20 min. Key ingredients: lotus leaf, winter melon, red adzuki beans, pork ribs.

By · Published under our editorial policy · Research library

Prep
20 min
Cook
2 hr
Total
2 hr 20 min
Makes
1.2–1.5 L
Respiratory & Lung WellnessCooling & Summer HeatEnergy & VitalityEveryday Balance
Fresh Lotus Leaf, Winter Melon, Red Bean and Pork Rib Soup

Why people make this soup

Around the height of summer, when the heat and humidity are unrelenting, many people notice their appetite dropping, their body feeling heavy, and a persistent mild tiredness that has nothing to do with how much sleep they are getting. Traditional Cantonese food therapy sees this as the classic presentation of summer-heat and dampness accumulation in the body. This soup — built around fresh lotus leaf, winter melon and two types of beans — is one of the most practical remedies in the Cantonese household pantry for this exact situation. It is not just cooling; it also actively helps the body shed excess fluid and restore normal energy and appetite.

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.

  • 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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