Ginger, White Radish, and Spearmint Soup

Why people make this soup

The moment you feel that first scratch in the throat, the watery runny nose, or that heavy foggy feeling in the head — that early window is exactly when this soup is most useful. Nourilo explains that when a cold is just beginning (what traditional Chinese medicine calls “exterior pattern”), the right strategy is to encourage the body to gently push the pathogen outward through light perspiration, while calming any digestive upset that often accompanies cold symptoms.

White radish is the foundation here: it clears heat from the stomach and lungs, aids digestion, and relieves bloating. On its own, radish is somewhat cooling and can be harsh on people with a cold constitution — but adding generous slices of ginger and the aromatic spearmint (xiang hua cai) transforms it into something warm and opening. The spearmint variety used in Cantonese cooking specifically has a liver-qi moving quality that helps with the headache, chest tightness, and general irritability that can accompany a cold.

Method

1. Peel the white radish and cut into large chunks.
2. Bring 1.2 L of water to a boil in a pot. Add the radish chunks and ginger slices.
3. Simmer for 15 minutes until the radish is cooked through.
4. Wash the spearmint stalks and cut into sections. Add to the pot.
5. Simmer for a further 5 minutes and serve hot.
6. Optional: if body aches are present or symptoms seem stronger, add a few garlic slices and a little brown sugar at the end for added warming effect.

Nourilo’s Tips

Drink this soup while it is hot and then rest warmly — the idea is to encourage a gentle light sweat that helps the body release the early-stage cold pathogen. If you also have garlic at home, adding a few slices deepens the warming, protective quality of the soup. A little brown sugar can be added for taste and additional warmth. That said, if symptoms are severe — high fever, marked body aches, or worsening rapidly — please do not rely on food therapy; see a doctor instead. For those prone to recurring colds, Nourilo recommends the traditional Jade Screen powder (yu ping feng san) combined with a few buds of magnolia flower (xin yi hua) to build a stronger protective surface layer over time.