Lotus Seed, Lily Bulb and Longan Soup

Why people make this soup

Poor sleep is genuinely exhausting, and it tends to get more common as people age. Traditional Chinese food therapy has long turned to certain plant foods — lotus seeds, lily bulb, longan flesh, spiny jujube seed — to gently settle an overactive mind and nourish what practitioners call the “heart” (which includes the nervous and emotional systems, not just the organ itself). This sweet soup brings all four of those calming botanicals together in one pot with red dates for warmth and sweetness. Many families keep it as a regular evening ritual during high-stress periods, and it doubles well as a children’s soup for mental focus and sleep.

Method

1. Rinse and soak the lotus seeds and dried lily bulb in water for about 30 minutes. Drain.
2. Pit the red dates.
3. Combine all ingredients except the rock sugar in a pot with 2.4 L of water.
4. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 1.5 hours, until about 1.2–1.5 L of liquid remain.
5. Stir in rock sugar to taste and cook until dissolved.
6. Serve warm. Eat the soup ingredients along with the broth.

Nourilo’s Tips

• This soup is also good for mental focus and is beneficial for both the elderly and children.
• For a savory everyday version, omit the rock sugar and add lean pork (about 170 g) to simmer along with everything else.
• Lotus seeds with the core retained have better calming and blood-pressure-supporting properties; remove the core only if you prefer a less bitter taste.
• Dry the spiny jujube seed before use (a pharmacy selling Chinese herbs will usually stock the pre-prepared version).
• For those easily prone to a sore throat or heat signs, swap the longan for mulberries and the red dates for southern dates.