Soups

Fresh Smilax Root, Adzuki Bean, Hyacinth Bean, Mung Bean, Barley and Pork Rib Soup

Traditionally used to clear heat, resolve dampness and help soothe skin rashes and itching

In short: Fresh Smilax Root, Adzuki Bean, Hyacinth Bean, Mung Bean, Barley and Pork Rib Soup is a soup that Traditionally used to clear heat, resolve dampness and help soothe skin rashes and itching. It is most often made for cooling & summer heat, skin & natural beauty, sleep & calm. Total time about 2 hr 20 min. Key ingredients: adzuki beans, mung beans, honey dates, pork ribs.

Prep
20 min
Cook
2 hr
Total
2 hr 20 min
Makes
1.2–1.5 L
Fresh Smilax Root, Adzuki Bean, Hyacinth Bean, Mung Bean, Barley and Pork Rib Soup

Why people make this soup

Hot, humid weather drives up what Chinese medicine calls “damp-heat” in the body, and the skin is often the first place this shows up — prickly heat, rashes, eczema flares, or general itching that worsens in summer. People with an already damp constitution are especially susceptible.

Smilax rhizome (tu fu ling) is a tuberous root of a climbing plant that grows in subtropical forests. Sweet and bland in flavour, it is traditionally prized for clearing heat and toxins, protecting the liver, soothing joint inflammation and — crucially — fighting bacteria, fungi and certain viruses. It is used in Cantonese food therapy for viral skin ulcers, allergic rashes and itching conditions alike. The fresh form is considered more effective than dried.

Combined with a classic “three-bean” combination (adzuki, hyacinth and mung) plus raw Job’s tears, this soup creates a potent but gentle dampness-clearing and heat-resolving broth that is pleasant enough for children to enjoy.

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
  • 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
  • Job's tears (coix) · Randomized controlled trial · 2024
    Myeloperoxidase activity rose significantly in the placebo group after 8 weeks but showed no significant change in the adlay tea group. Vascular endothelial function improved in the adlay group, especially in those over 40.Limitation: Participants were healthy adults and the outcomes were surrogate markers, so the results say little about clinical disease outcomes. Tea is a polyphenol-rich extract, not whole grain.PubMed 38945894 · 2 more job's tears (coix) studies

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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