Soups
Fresh Lotus Leaf, Winter Melon and Green Bean Dampness-Clearing Soup
traditionally used to clear summer heat, resolve dampness, and support the body during and after hand, foot and mouth disease outbreaks
Why people make this soup
Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a highly contagious viral illness that tends to circulate every summer in subtropical Asia, primarily affecting children under five. It presents with fever, oral blisters that cause pain on eating, and a rash of spots or blisters on the hands, feet, and buttocks. Because the mouth sores make swallowing painful, children often refuse food — and a cool, clear, gently sweet soup is one of the few things they will accept.
In Chinese food therapy, this combination of lotus leaf, winter melon, and cooling legumes addresses what is called “damp-heat” — the pattern most associated with summer infectious illnesses. Bro Niu recommends this soup not only for children already unwell but for the whole family as a preventive measure during outbreak season: a healthy spleen and digestive system is considered the best defence against viral intestinal pathogens in traditional thinking.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Well-suited to: the whole family in summer, especially children in HFMD outbreak season; anyone with fever, oral blisters, or general heat and dampness discomfort; pregnant women and toddlers (with reduced amounts)
- Cautions: if a child has a fever, blisters, or is not eating, see a doctor — this soup supports but does not replace medical assessment. For children with HFMD: let the soup cool completely before serving, as drinking hot liquid over sore mouth blisters will cause pain. For children with G6PD, replace the flat white beans with extra azuki beans. A whole lotus leaf may give a slightly bitter flavour; use half a leaf for a milder taste (Bro Niu uses 3 honey dates to balance).
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Fresh lotus leaf (xian he ye): Associated with clearing summer heat, stopping bleeding from heat patterns (traditionally helpful for children who frequently get nosebleeds), and lifting and clearing damp-heat accumulation. It gives the broth a distinctive, fresh green fragrance.
- Winter melon with skin (dong gua): Clears heat, promotes urination, and reduces water retention. Keeping the skin on enhances the diuretic and anti-inflammatory effect.
- Mung beans (lv dou): A classic heat-clearing food throughout Asia — mildly anti-inflammatory and traditionally associated with detoxifying and cooling the blood.
- Flat white beans (bian dou): Strengthens the spleen and resolves summer dampness; particularly good in summer when digestion tends to slow.
- Raw coix seed (sheng yi mi): Drains dampness, supports spleen function, and is associated with mild antiviral activity.
- Honey dates (mi zao): Sweetens the broth naturally and balances the cooling nature of the other ingredients.
Ingredients (4–5 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh lotus leaf | 1 large leaf | Rinse and cut into pieces; use half a leaf for a less bitter flavour |
| Winter melon | 600 g | Wash well; keep skin and seeds on; cut into chunks |
| Green mung beans | 40 g | Soak briefly |
| Flat white beans (lablab beans) | 40 g | Soak briefly; G6PD children: replace with azuki beans |
| Raw coix seed | 40 g | Soak briefly |
| Honey dates | 3 pieces | Rinse |
| Water | 8 bowls (approx. 1.6 L) | |
| Pork ribs or lean pork (optional) | As desired | Add for a fuller family meal |
Method
- Wash the winter melon and cut into chunky pieces — leave the skin and seeds on.
- Rinse the lotus leaf and cut or tear into pieces. (Use half a leaf if you prefer a milder flavour.)
- Soak and rinse the mung beans, flat white beans, and coix seed.
- Rinse the honey dates.
- Combine all ingredients in a pot with 8 bowls of water.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours.
- Important: for sick children, allow the soup to cool completely before serving — hot liquid over mouth sores is painful.
Bro Niu’s tips
This soup is nicely fragrant from the fresh lotus leaf. Fresh lotus leaves are available at Chinese or Asian grocers in summer, and at some farmers markets and specialty food stores. If you are making this for a child recovering from HFMD, wait until the soup is fully cooled before giving it to them. You can add pork ribs or lean pork if you want a more substantial family soup. If fresh lotus leaf is unavailable, a dried lotus leaf can be substituted.
Community questions answered (selected)
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Q (L ing): My four-year-old has hand, foot and mouth disease with blisters around the eyes and mouth, high fever, no appetite, and very red eyes. What can I give him? Bro Niu: Simmer azuki beans, coix seed, and mung beans (about 40 g each) with rock sugar in 6 bowls of water until well-cooked and soft. You can use the thick, starchy liquid along with the soft-cooked beans, mixing with a little fish jelly powder (fish gelatine) or agar to make a soft jelly treat — easier for a child to eat with sore mouth blisters. Serve cooled over 3–4 days.
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Q (Hedy): My son has HFMD with fever, and also has a residual cough and cold symptoms. How do I manage both at once? Bro Niu: Use mung beans, coix seed, and azuki beans (40 g each) with rock sugar — simmer in 6 bowls of water for 1 hour to get 2–3 bowls. Allow to cool before serving. This addresses the heat and dampness of HFMD; the cough will follow as he recovers.
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Q (Miu Miu): I am 53 and have low blood pressure. I love cooling soups like this but they leave me feeling dizzy and heavy-eyed. What can I add to make it more suitable for me? Bro Niu: You can try simmering 10 g codonopsis root (dang shen) slices with 10 longan pieces and 2 teaspoons of goji berries as a tea you drink regularly — this supports blood pressure and reduces the fatigue and dizziness associated with low blood pressure.
Published July 7, 2018 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 5 min read.
