Soups
Green Radish Digestive Soup
Traditionally helps relieve greasy-food bloating and ease digestion
Why people make this soup
Holidays mean big family meals, and big family meals usually mean too much rich, fatty and deep-fried food. If your stomach is on the weaker side, that often shows up as poor digestion, a bloated belly or irregular bowels. In Cantonese home kitchens the simple fix is a pot of soup built around green radish and a few classic “food-mover” ingredients. Bro Niu keeps this one on hand for the day after a feast.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- People who feel stuffed, bloated or sluggish after heavy, greasy meals
- Those with a weaker stomach prone to indigestion or constipation
- Skip it if you are currently taking qi-tonifying remedies (e.g. ginseng tea), as radish seed works against them
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Green radish (qing luo bo): traditionally used to clear that greasy, stuck feeling and move stagnant food along.
- Hawthorn (shan zha): long associated with breaking down rich, meaty, oily meals.
- Malt (mai ya): traditionally helps move starchy, doughy foods.
- Radish seed (lai fu zi): the seed of the radish; in tradition it eases bloating, settles distension and helps with phlegm.
- Chicken gizzard lining (ji nei jin): a classic digestive aid for a heavy, over-full stomach.
Ingredients (4 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Green radish | 1 whole | peeled, cubed |
| Hawthorn (shan zha) | ~11 g | rinsed |
| Malt (mai ya) | ~19 g | rinsed |
| Radish seed (lai fu zi) | ~11 g | rinsed |
| Chicken gizzard lining (ji nei jin) | ~7.5 g | rinsed |
| Honey dates (mi zao) | 3 | |
| Lean pork | ~300 g | sliced, blanched |
Method
- Peel the green radish and cut into chunks.
- Slice the lean pork and blanch in boiling water, then drain.
- Rinse and soak the remaining ingredients.
- Add everything to 8 bowls of water and simmer down to about 4 bowls. Serve.
Bro Niu’s tips
Radish seed (lai fu zi) is the seed of the radish — it helps with digestion, eases distension and settles phlegm. This soup is genuinely helpful for indigestion, a tight bloated upper belly, and constipation. One caution: if you are drinking qi-tonic teas such as ginseng, do not have this soup, as it pulls in the opposite direction.
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (Silly): Good morning Bro Niu, happy Mid-Autumn. I’m going for a gastroscopy and colonoscopy tomorrow — what should I eat afterwards? Bro Niu: After the scopes you can cook a congee of red dates, millet and minced pork to nourish the stomach. For now, avoid greasy and hard-to-digest foods.
Published September 17, 2024 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.
