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Old Cucumber, Mung Bean, Job's Tears & Dried Scallop Soup

Traditionally used to clear lingering heat and support recovery after a cold

In short: Old Cucumber, Mung Bean, Job's Tears & Dried Scallop Soup is a soup that Traditionally used to clear lingering heat and support recovery after a cold. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, energy & vitality. Total time about 2 hr 15 min. Key ingredients: old cucumber, mung beans, job's tears / chinese pearl barley, honey dates.

By · Published under our editorial policy · Research library

Prep
15 min
Cook
2 hr
Total
2 hr 15 min
Makes
1.2–1.5 L
Respiratory & Lung WellnessEnergy & Vitality
Old Cucumber, Mung Bean, Job's Tears & Dried Scallop Soup

Why people make this soup

Old cucumber has thick, firm skin and flesh, so it’s not for stir-fries — it’s a soup vegetable through and through. In tradition it’s used to clear heat, drain dampness, ease swelling and soothe a dry mouth, which makes it a favourite for people who feel damp or run hot. Just after a cold, when a little residual heat lingers, you often feel drained and listless — but it’s too soon for rich tonic soups. Pairing old cucumber with cooling mung bean and Job’s tears, plus savoury dried scallop, gives you a soup that clears that leftover heat while gently supporting the body. This is one of Nourilo’s go-to recovery soups.

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

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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