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Ginger, White Radish, and Spearmint Soup

Traditionally used at the very start of a cold to warm, open the pores, and ease sneezing, runny nose, and digestive upset

In short: Ginger, White Radish, and Spearmint Soup is a soup that Traditionally used at the very start of a cold to warm, open the pores, and ease sneezing, runny nose, and digestive upset. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, digestive wellness. Total time about 30 min. Key ingredients: ginger.

By · Published under our editorial policy · Research library

Prep
10 min
Cook
20 min
Total
30 min
Makes
0.9–1.2 L
Respiratory & Lung WellnessDigestive Wellness
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.

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.

  • Ginger · Meta-analysis, 23 studies · 2022
    Overall, acute and delayed nausea and vomiting did not differ significantly between ginger and control groups. A subgroup taking 1 g/day or less for over four days had less acute vomiting (OR 0.30).Limitation: Clinical heterogeneity between trials required subgroup analyses, and the authors state that sufficiently large, high-quality RCTs are still needed.PubMed 36501010 · 3 more ginger studies
  • Garlic · Randomized controlled trial, 120 participants · 2016
    Gamma-delta T and NK cells proliferated better and were more activated than with placebo. The number of illnesses did not differ significantly, but cold and flu severity and missed days were lower.Limitation: Cold and flu outcomes were self-reported in daily diaries, and the dose was a concentrated extract that is not comparable to dietary garlic.PubMed 26764332 · 2 more garlic 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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