Lung-Qi Tonic Soup with African Sea Coconut, Tiger Milk Mushroom, and Snow Fungus

Why people make this soup

During a flu outbreak, beyond washing hands and avoiding crowded places, building up the body’s internal resistance is one of the most sensible things you can do. This soup is designed for exactly that: a gentle but effective lung-tonifying brew that Nourilo recommends especially for children who get sick often and for elderly people with weaker constitutions. The two signature ingredients are African sea coconut — a real sea coconut from a specific African species, quite different from the common dessert coconut — and tiger milk mushroom (hu ru ling zhi), a prized medicinal mushroom from Southeast Asia. Both are well-regarded in traditional Cantonese food therapy for their ability to strengthen lung qi, ease coughs, and help clear phlegm. Together with snow fungus, lily bulb, apricot kernels, figs, and pear, the soup is soothing, mildly sweet, and nourishing.