Soups
Night-Blooming Cereus, Carrot & Lean Pork Soup
Traditionally used to clear lung heat, reduce phlegm, and ease cough
Why people make this soup
Ba wang hua — the dried flower of a night-blooming cereus cactus — has a long history in Cantonese kitchens, especially as a warming-weather soup for clearing what people describe as “lung heat”: thick phlegm, persistent cough, or the stuffy-headed feeling that lingers after a cold. The fresh flower is fragrant but quite cooling and makes the broth slippery; drying it reduces that coolness and makes the soup better suited to both adults and children. In traditional practice, this soup is also used to help children who have what is called “phlegm fire nodes” — swollen lymph nodes in the neck associated with excess phlegm.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Suits people with phlegm-heavy cough, lingering heat after a cold, constipation from intestinal heat, bloating, bad breath, or a flushed feeling
- Well tolerated by the whole family, including children, when simmered for the full time
- Caution: Pregnant women are advised to limit flower-based ingredients; substitute with dried white cabbage (bai cai gan) if preferred
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Dried ba wang hua (霸王花): The dried flowers of Epiphyllum oxypetalum. Drying reduces its cooling nature; the ingredient is then considered gently cooling rather than cold, well suited to clearing residual lung heat. Traditionally associated with calming cough, clearing phlegm, and easing bowel stagnation.
- Carrot (gan sun / hong luo bo): Supports the spleen and stomach; adds gentle sweetness and nourishment to the broth.
- Red dates (hong zao): Nourish qi and blood; help round out the soup’s flavour and buffer the cooling effect of the main ingredient.
- Ginger (sheng jiang): A warming counterbalance that keeps the soup from being too cooling overall.
Ingredients (4–5 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dried ba wang hua | 75 g | Rinse well; soak briefly |
| Carrot | 1 medium | Peel and cut into chunks |
| Red dates | 6 pieces | Leave whole |
| Fresh ginger | 2 slices | |
| Lean pork | 225 g | Blanch first to remove impurities |
Method
- Rinse the dried ba wang hua thoroughly; soak for a few minutes, then drain.
- Peel and chunk the carrot. Blanch the lean pork in boiling water for 1–2 minutes, then drain.
- Combine all ingredients in a pot with 10 cups (about 2.4 litres) of water.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours until the liquid reduces to about 4–5 cups.
- Serve as a soup, drinking the broth and eating the solid ingredients.
Bro Niu’s tips
As long as you simmer this soup for the full two hours, it will not be overly cooling — the whole family, from young children to older adults, can share it comfortably. It is particularly useful in summer and early autumn when lung heat and heat-related constipation are most common. If you have a thyroid nodule, adding a small piece of luo han guo (monk fruit) along with some seaweed is a worthwhile variation — the combination is traditionally used to help resolve phlegm and soften nodules. For fever in children, Bro Niu confirms this soup is fine to give.
Community questions answered (selected)
-
Q (Cherry): My child is running a fever with a bad cough and phlegm. Can they drink this soup? Bro Niu: Yes — use 60 g of dried ba wang hua, add 3 qian of north apricot kernels (bei xing) and 3 dried figs, and simmer together. This combination helps clear lung heat, reduce fever, and ease cough. The whole family can drink it.
-
Q (Ms Leung): Can a pregnant woman drink ba wang hua soup? Bro Niu: It is best for pregnant women to limit flower-based ingredients, as they may mildly stimulate uterine contractions. A safe swap is to use dried white cabbage (bai cai gan) instead of the flowers.
-
Q (Xiao Xi): Is this soup suitable to drink in summer? Bro Niu: It is actually most suitable in summer.
Published March 26, 2010 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.
