Soups
Ginger Scallion Mustard Greens Soup
traditionally warms and releases the surface, helping ease chills, nasal congestion, and muscle aches from a cold
Why people make this soup
Mustard greens are often misunderstood as a cooling vegetable, but in traditional food therapy, they are actually pungent and warming — traditionally associated with warming the interior, promoting the flow of qi, clearing phlegm from the lungs, and relieving the kind of full-body heaviness that comes with a cold. When you feel the first signs of a wind-cold illness — that sudden chill, a blocked nose, the dull ache in your neck and limbs, a cough building in the chest — this simple, affordable soup can offer real comfort. The ginger warms and disperses cold; the scallion white parts help release the surface and encourage perspiration; and the mustard greens contribute to clearing the airways and easing chest tightness. The whole soup comes together in under 30 minutes and uses only things you might already have at home.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Suits all ages including children and the elderly for wind-cold type colds and flu (symptoms: chills, clear or white phlegm, nasal congestion, body aches, no sore throat)
- Also useful after heavy physical labour when the muscles feel sore and fatigued
- NOT suitable for wind-heat type colds: those with a sore throat, yellow thick phlegm, high fever that worsens, or night sweats
- People with stomach heat or those prone to night sweating should avoid this soup
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Mustard greens (jie cai): Pungent and warming. Traditionally associated with warming the interior, dispersing qi stagnation, clearing lung phlegm, and relieving physical fatigue from muscle overuse.
- Ginger (sheng jiang): A classic warming herb to dispel cold, warm the stomach, and help release the surface.
- Scallion white (cong bai): Pungent and warming. Associated with releasing the exterior, dispersing cold, and gently promoting perspiration to resolve wind-cold illness.
Ingredients (3–4 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mustard greens | 300 g | Wash and cut into chunks |
| Fresh ginger | 4–5 slices | — |
| Scallion white parts (cong bai) | 3 stalks | Cut into sections; add last |
| Water | 5 bowls (~1 L) | — |
Method
- Wash the mustard greens and cut into chunks.
- Wash the scallion whites and cut into sections; set aside.
- Bring 5 bowls of water to a boil in a pot.
- Add the ginger and mustard greens; cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.
- Add the scallion white pieces and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Serve warm. Drink while hot for best effect.
Bro Niu’s tips
This soup is warming, so it is specifically for wind-cold type illness — the kind where you feel cold and shivery rather than hot, and your phlegm is clear or white rather than yellow. If your cold has a sore throat or obvious heat signs, this is not the right soup. Drink it warm, and if you can produce a gentle sweat, that is a good sign the cold is beginning to release. Both round mustard greens and the longer leafy variety work fine for this recipe. This soup is also genuinely helpful after a day of heavy physical work — the mustard greens ease sore muscles and help restore comfort to the body.
Community questions answered (selected)
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Q (小玲): My 13-year-old son has a low fever of 38°C this morning, with white and yellow mixed nasal discharge, feels exhausted. I already gave him ginger sugar and scallion water last night. What else should I do? Bro Niu: Check first whether he has tested negative for COVID — if so, this is likely a regular cold. You can cook a soup with coriander, spring onions, and ginger simmered with fish fillet slices; drink warm in 2 servings. If throat pain develops, add 4–5 pieces of tea melon along with the soup. If nasal discharge is heavy, steep 8 xin yi hua in hot water with a little honey.
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Q (Jenny, about general phlegm): I have been coughing on and off for weeks with lots of white phlegm — each time it seems to clear then returns. What do you suggest? Bro Niu: You can try fa xia, poria, and white atractylodes 3 qian each, dried tangerine peel 2 qian, licorice 1 qian — simmer in 5 bowls of water to 2 bowls. Take 3 servings to help clear persistent phlegm.
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Q (man man): My 16-month-old baby felt cold yesterday at the shopping centre and now has a slight phlegmy cough. Is this soup suitable? Bro Niu: Yes, this mustard greens soup is suitable for babies too.
Published July 17, 2017 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.
