Soups
Old Cucumber, Red Bean, Hyacinth Bean and Job's Tears Soup
Traditionally used to clear lingering heat and damp and settle the stomach after a cold
Why people make this soup
After a cold, the digestion often hasn’t bounced back — you feel tired and off your food. Bro Niu’s advice is not to rush into rich tonics, which only burden a recovering spleen and stomach while leftover heat lingers. Instead, reach for something that settles the stomach and clears heat and damp. Old cucumber is traditionally used to clear heat and drain water; combined with red beans, hyacinth beans and Job’s tears, this soup is associated with easing the dry throat, restlessness and poor sleep that can trail a cold.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- People recovering from a cold with lingering heat, dry throat, restlessness or poor appetite; gentle enough for the whole family.
- It is also associated with easing itchy, sensitive skin.
- Pregnant readers should omit the Job’s tears (yi mi) — the rest is fine. If no old cucumber, fuge (kudzu) or winter melon can stand in.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Old cucumber (lao huang gua): traditionally used to clear heat, drain water and calm inflammation.
- Adzuki red beans (chi xiao dou): classically used to drain damp and water.
- Hyacinth beans (bian dou): traditionally used to strengthen the spleen and resolve damp.
- Job’s tears (yi mi): traditionally used to clear heat and drain damp (omit in pregnancy).
- Honey dates (mi zao): added for a gentle natural sweetness and to round out the soup.
Ingredients (1 pot)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Old cucumber | 1 whole | Seeded, cut into chunks |
| Adzuki red beans (chi xiao dou) | ~38 g (1 liang) | Soaked and rinsed |
| Hyacinth beans (bian dou) | ~38 g (1 liang) | Soaked and rinsed |
| Raw Job’s tears (sheng yi mi) | ~38 g (1 liang) | Soaked and rinsed; omit in pregnancy |
| Honey dates (mi zao) | 2–3 | |
| Pork shin | ~300 g (half a catty) | Blanched |
Method
- Seed the old cucumber and cut into chunks; blanch the pork shin; soak and rinse the remaining ingredients.
- Put everything in a pot with 8 bowls of water.
- Simmer for 2 hours, then serve.
Bro Niu’s tips
The whole family can drink this; it is associated with preventing internal dryness and easing itchy, sensitive skin. Tip on the cucumber: a bitter batch usually means a damaged or insect-stung fruit, or a bitter head — choose a straight, heavy, unblemished old cucumber with fresh yellow-brown skin.
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (anonymous): Why did mine come out bitter? Bro Niu: This soup should be sweet and pleasant. Some cucumbers have a bitter head (from cucurbitacin), and fruit that has been stung by wasps or insects — showing a dented or slightly bent spot — can also be bitter.
- Q (Carol): Can I drink this at 6 months pregnant? Will the Job’s tears make it too cooling? Bro Niu: Job’s tears can cause mild uterine contraction, so just leave it out — the rest of the ingredients are fine.
- Q (Joyce): No old cucumber — what can I use instead? Bro Niu: You can use fuge (kudzu) or winter melon instead.
Published February 17, 2011 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.
