Glehnia and Solomon's Seal Lung-Nourishing Soup

Why people make this soup

After recovering from a respiratory illness, many people find that the cough and phlegm just will not fully clear up. The lungs feel dry and irritated, and the cough lingers particularly at night. This soup has long been made in Cantonese households for exactly this situation — glehnia root and Solomon’s seal are both considered in traditional food therapy to clear residual heat from the lungs and restore moisture, while the combination of pear, apple, lily bulb, and apricot kernels adds a gentle nourishing quality. It is especially useful in the dry autumn season when the air itself depletes lung moisture.

Method

1. Soak and rinse sha shen, yu zhu, bai he, and apricot kernels separately.
2. Soak apples and pears in lightly salted water; scrub, rinse, core, and cut into chunks.
3. Combine all ingredients in a pot with 2.4 L of water.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a medium-low simmer for about 1.5 hours until the liquid reduces to 1.2–1.5 L.
5. Serve warm; eat the fruit and soft ingredients along with the soup.
6. Optional: for a sweet version, add a little rock sugar in the last few minutes; for a savoury version, add lean pork from the start.

Nourilo’s Tips

This soup is gentle and suits all constitutions — children, the elderly, and pregnant women can all enjoy it. If you want a slightly more refined result, you can double-boil (stew) this soup for 2 hours instead. Adding a little aged tangerine peel (chen pi) alongside the other ingredients helps with phlegm if the cough is wet. For those who cannot find fresh pears, 10–12 pieces of dried pear work well. You can add 11 g of mai dong (ophiopogon root) if the dry nighttime cough is prominent. Aim for 3–4 portions per week during recovery; once the cough resolves, this soup still makes a wonderful seasonal tonic.