Soups

Mung Bean, Coix Seed & Lily Sweet Soup

Traditionally associated with clearing heat, supporting skin clarity, and calming restlessness

In short: Mung Bean, Coix Seed & Lily Sweet Soup is a soup that Traditionally associated with clearing heat, supporting skin clarity, and calming restlessness. It is most often made for skin & natural beauty, sleep & calm. Total time about 70 min. Key ingredients: mung beans, coix seeds / job's tears, lily bulb, tangerine peel.

Prep
10 min
Cook
60 min
Total
70 min
Makes
1.2–1.5 L
Mung Bean, Coix Seed & Lily Sweet Soup

Why people make this sweet soup

In Cantonese food culture, mung beans are a go-to ingredient whenever the weather is hot or the body feels “heated up” — prone to prickly heat, breakouts, or a restless, irritable mood. Nourilo has loved mung bean treats since childhood, and this soup brings together three complementary ingredients to multiply the calming, skin-supporting effect. The coix seeds add a gentle spleen-strengthening dimension, and the lily bulb quiets the mind — making this a dessert soup that addresses both skin and mood at once. It is a favourite for teenagers and young adults dealing with acne flares.

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.

  • Mung beans · Randomized crossover trial, 20 participants · 2019
    Breath hydrogen and methane were higher after wheat than after rice or mung bean noodles. Bloating scores after mung bean did not differ significantly from wheat, and mung bean produced gas levels similar to rice.Limitation: Small sample of 20 patients, with single meals tested rather than habitual intake, so longer-term effects of mung bean on symptoms are unknown.PubMed 31484315 · 1 more mung beans study
  • Job's tears (coix) · Randomized controlled trial · 2024
    Myeloperoxidase activity rose significantly in the placebo group after 8 weeks but showed no significant change in the adlay tea group. Vascular endothelial function improved in the adlay group, especially in those over 40.Limitation: Participants were healthy adults and the outcomes were surrogate markers, so the results say little about clinical disease outcomes. Tea is a polyphenol-rich extract, not whole grain.PubMed 38945894 · 2 more job's tears (coix) studies
  • Tangerine peel · Randomized controlled trial, 72 participants · 2025
    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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