Soups
Watercress, Carrot, Dried Duck Gizzard & Pork Bone Soup
traditionally used to clear lung heat, ease coughs, and support healthy bowel function
In short: Watercress, Carrot, Dried Duck Gizzard & Pork Bone Soup is a soup that traditionally used to clear lung heat, ease coughs, and support healthy bowel function. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, cleansing & regularity. Total time about 1 hr 50 min. Key ingredients: watercress, carrot, tangerine peel, figs.
Why people make this soup
Watercress (xi yang cai) has peak season in spring and early summer, and Cantonese families have long considered it one of the finest vegetables for clearing heat from the lungs. When you have been eating too much fried or grilled food and find yourself feeling hot, irritable, and coughing with a dry or phlegmy sensation, this soup is the traditional go-to remedy. The key technique is to add the watercress only when the broth is already boiling — adding it too early can make the soup taste bitter and astringent. Cooked for the right amount of time with dried duck gizzard (a digestive tonic) and carrot (which supports the bowel), this soup becomes a genuine all-round family broth: clear, sweet, nourishing, and safe even for pregnant women.
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.
- Tangerine peel
The tangerine peel drink group showed significant reductions in body weight and triglycerides after the intervention compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Safety markers showed no adverse effects. Gut microbiota and serum metabolite profiles also differed.Limitation: Small pilot trial with only 55 of 72 participants completing. The fermented product is not the same as plain tangerine peel, and the control group is not described.PubMed 40225325
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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