Purslane, Mung Bean and Barley Soup

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. Nourilo recommends this soup as a complementary food-therapy measure, taken a couple of hours after any antiviral medication — not in place of it.

Method

1. Rinse all ingredients. If using fresh earth poria, slice it thinly — it is dense and needs more time to release its compounds.
2. Place mung beans and Job’s tears in a pot with 1.8 L of water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
3. Reduce to a moderate simmer and cook for 40 minutes.
4. 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.
5. Serve warm. A small amount of salt or a little rock sugar may be added to taste. Drink the broth and eat the beans.

Nourilo’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.