Soups
Purslane and Job's-Tears Barley Soup
Traditionally used to clear heat and resolve dampness
Why people make this soup
Plenty of middle-aged and older people with lower immunity catch shingles (“growing a snake”) in autumn and winter. It’s the chickenpox virus, dormant in the body, flaring back up: clusters of red blisters like “pairs of eyes,” densely packed, that sting like needles and burn. Treatment matters in the first one to three days — Chinese or Western — and acting at the very start can clear it within a week, but once the virus has damaged the nerve, the pain can last months or even years. On the food-therapy side, Bro Niu shares this soup of fresh purslane and Job’s-tears barley, which he finds especially helpful for the spleen-weak, damp-heat type, whose blisters are pale red, fragile and prone to weeping.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- A supportive bowl for the spleen-weak, damp-heat type of shingles (pale-red, fragile, weeping blisters).
- This is supportive only — shingles must be seen by a doctor, ideally within the golden 72 hours. Take any herbal soup at least 2 hours apart from prescribed medicine.
- Pregnancy: avoid the Job’s-tears barley; substitute about 1 liang of mung beans, and a piece of dried tangerine peel makes it less cooling.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Fresh purslane (ma chi xian): traditionally used to clear heat and resolve toxins; fresh is considered more effective.
- Job’s-tears barley (sheng yi mi): traditionally used to drain dampness and clear heat.
- Slab sugar (pian tang): added to soften the cooling nature and round the flavor.
Ingredients (2 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh purslane | ~75 g (2 liang) | Or ~40 g (1 liang) dried; soak barley first for easier softening |
| Job’s-tears barley | ~40 g (1 liang) | |
| Slab sugar | to taste |
Method
- Wash the fresh purslane with its roots and cut into segments.
- Combine with the Job’s-tears barley and 4 bowls of water; simmer for half an hour, down to 2 bowls.
- Add slab sugar and stir until dissolved. Serve.
Bro Niu’s tips
Fresh purslane is available at Chinese or Asian grocers, or online; the fresh form works better than dried. Soaking the barley beforehand helps it soften. A lean-pork version (unsweetened) is more nourishing; with slab sugar as a sweet soup it is gentler on the system — both are fine for clearing heat and easing discomfort.
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (Annie): I’m 24 weeks pregnant; the doctor confirmed shingles on my lower back. Is this soup suitable in pregnancy, since I still have pain and red spots? Bro Niu: In pregnancy avoid the Job’s-tears barley — substitute about 1 liang of mung beans for 2 doses to help clear heat and resolve toxins; a piece of dried tangerine peel makes it less cooling. The marks will fade on their own — just don’t scratch them open, to prevent the skin getting infected.
- Q (Fanny Ho): My stomach is very sensitive and I’ve just had shingles. Is purslane-barley soup okay for my stomach? Bro Niu: Fresh purslane clears heat and resolves toxins; after shingles, two or three doses is good. Separately, you can simmer 4–5 slices of ginger with a little brown sugar (2 bowls of water down to 1) to warm the stomach and dispel cold — drink it about an hour apart.
- Q (Yu): Which is better for shingles — purslane-barley with lean pork, or as a sweet soup? Bro Niu: You can use the purslane-barley lean-pork soup, unsweetened, to help clear heat and resolve toxins.
Published January 4, 2011 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.
