Soups
Purslane, Mung Bean and Barley Soup
traditionally used to clear heat and support the body during and after shingles (herpes zoster)
Why people make this soup
Shingles develops when the dormant chickenpox virus reactivates — usually when immunity is low — and travels along nerve fibers to the skin, producing the characteristic painful, blistered rash. In traditional Chinese dietary wisdom, the condition is understood as a build-up of damp heat and toxic fire in the body. Purslane, mung beans, and raw barley are three ingredients long associated with helping the body clear this internal heat and support the resolution of inflammation. Bro Niu recommends this soup as a complementary food-therapy measure, taken a couple of hours after any antiviral medication — not in place of it.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Suits people with active shingles or recovering from a recent episode, taken alongside doctor-prescribed treatment
- Also useful in the weeks after the rash has cleared, to help address lingering nerve pain
- If fresh purslane cannot be found, substitute fresh earth poria (xian tu fu ling) at the same quantity — cook it for the full duration
- Pregnant women must not use this soup — purslane is traditionally contraindicated in pregnancy
- People with cold constitutions, or the elderly and frail, may add a piece of dried tangerine peel and 4–5 red dates to reduce the cooling nature of the soup
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Fresh purslane (ma chi xian): Also called “horse-tooth greens” because of the shape of its leaves; it is also known as purslane or pigweed in Western herbal traditions. In Chinese food therapy it is traditionally associated with clearing heat and toxins from the blood, reducing swelling, and supporting the body during skin flare-ups. It is the star ingredient here.
- Mung beans (lu dou): A cooling, detoxifying legume widely used in Chinese food therapy. Their skin holds much of the active compounds — so even if the beans fully open during cooking, the soup remains effective. Eating the cooked beans is encouraged.
- Raw Job’s tears (sheng yi mi): Used raw (not toasted) for its traditionally cooling, dampness-draining, and inflammation-supporting properties.
Ingredients (3–4 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh purslane (ma chi xian) | 75 g (2 liang) | Rinse well; use root and all. If unavailable, use fresh earth poria 75 g |
| Mung beans | 75 g (2 liang) | No need to soak |
| Raw Job’s tears (sheng yi mi) | 37 g (1 liang) | Raw, not toasted |
| Water | 6 bowls (~1.4 L) |
Method
- Rinse all ingredients. If using fresh earth poria, slice it thinly — it is dense and needs more time to release its compounds.
- Place mung beans and Job’s tears in a pot with 6 bowls of water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce to a moderate simmer and cook for 40 minutes.
- Add the fresh purslane (or sliced earth poria). If using earth poria, cook a further 30–40 minutes. If using purslane, cook a further 20 minutes.
- Serve warm. A small amount of salt or a little rock sugar may be added to taste. Drink the broth and eat the beans.
Bro Niu’s tips
- Fresh purslane is available at Chinese or Asian grocers and some organic produce sections, or online. Purslane is also known as “gua zi cai” (melon-seed vegetable) in some regions.
- The mung bean skin holds most of the medicinal value, so do not worry if the beans open completely during cooking — just eat the soup and the beans together.
- Take this soup 2 hours after any antiviral or other prescription medication.
- During the shingles episode, avoid “stimulating” foods (fa wu) that may aggravate the condition: goose meat, pork neck, scaleless fish (eel, squid, octopus), bamboo shoots, shrimp, crab, mango, and pineapple.
- Drink plenty of water and aim for 8–10 hours of sleep — both support the immune system during recovery.
- If nerve pain persists long after the rash has healed, please consult a doctor.
Community questions answered (selected)
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Q (May, reader): I started getting shingles and did not go to the doctor until day 3. My antiviral has been prescribed. If I cannot find fresh purslane, can I use fresh earth poria instead? How do I prepare it? Bro Niu: Yes, use fresh earth poria (2 liang). Because it is quite dense, slice it thinly and cook it with the mung beans and barley for at least 1 hour in 6–7 bowls of water. You can add a little rock sugar to taste.
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Q (心, reader): I am about 14 weeks pregnant and have had shingles for nearly 2 weeks, past the golden treatment window. What can a pregnant woman drink? Bro Niu: You should not use purslane or barley during pregnancy. Instead, try mung beans cooked with a little licorice root (gan cao, 5–6 slices) as a light sweet soup — it helps clear residual toxins and is safe for pregnancy. Externally, you can gently apply a paste of raw water chestnuts (peeled and mashed) mixed with egg white to the affected skin up to 3 times a day; this may help ease discomfort. Please consult your obstetrician throughout.
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Q (Josephine Cheng, reader): I finished my 5-day antiviral course and the rash has faded, but I still feel occasional tingling and pain. What soup should I make now? Bro Niu: If there is residual heat and discomfort, a simple mung bean and barley water taken for 2–3 rounds is helpful. If you feel generally weak, add a few red dates and a piece of dried tangerine peel when you cook it.
Published March 26, 2016 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.
