Mung Bean Job's Tears Hyacinth Bean Soup (Lv Dou Yi Mi Bian Dou Qu Shi Tang)

Why people make this soup

Nourilo speaks from experience: he developed shingles himself two days after his second vaccine dose. He recognised it early — paired, “eye-like” clusters of skin lesions — and went straight to the doctor, recovering after five days of medication. He stresses that shingles must be treated in the golden 72 hours, or lingering nerve pain can drag on for months or years. Shingles roughly splits into a “heat” type (bright red lesions, blisters, intense pain, dry stools, dark urine) and a “damp” type (pale-red lesions, mild pain, bloating or loose stools). This soup is for the damp type — traditionally clearing heat, supporting the spleen, dispelling dampness, and helping the body recover.

Method

1. Soak and rinse the ingredients.
2. Simmer in about 6 cups of water for 1 hour, until reduced to 600–900 ml.
3. Divide across the day.

Nourilo’s Tips

This soup has little herbal taste and is gentle for young and old. In hot, humid summer weather it also makes a fine everyday dampness tonic. But pregnant women should not use raw job’s tears — use adzuki bean instead.