Fresh Chinese Yam and Mung Bean Damp-Clearing Soup

Why people make this soup

In early summer, the weather alternates between muggy heat and cool rainy spells — the kind of unsettled conditions that, in traditional Chinese medicine thinking, invite “dampness” into the body. Add in a habit of eating cold foods and iced drinks, and that external dampness joins forces with internal dampness from a weakened spleen. The result is a body that feels inexplicably heavy and tired, a mind that seems foggy, limbs that feel waterlogged, and in children, an increased likelihood of eczema or loose stools. This soup addresses exactly that pattern. The combination of five ingredients — each classically associated with spleen support and dampness drainage — works gently and steadily, making it a good soup to come back to whenever the weather or the body calls for it.

Method

1. Peel the fresh Chinese yam and cut into chunks. (Wearing gloves is recommended as the skin can cause mild itching.)
2. Rinse and soak the mung beans and coix seeds for about 30 minutes, then drain.
3. Rinse the euryale seeds and lily bulbs.
4. If adding meat, blanch first and drain.
5. Place all ingredients into a pot with 2.4 L of water.
6. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1.5 hours until reduced to 0.9–1.2 L.
7. Serve warm. Eat the soup and the solid ingredients together.

Nourilo’s Tips

Meat can be added to this soup — it will improve the flavour without reducing the therapeutic effect. The soup is naturally mild and lightly sweet. Pregnant women should simply swap out the coix seeds for dried hyacinth bean (bian dou). Those with gout or who are menstruating should replace the mung beans with adzuki beans (chi xiao dou), which are the only bean type traditionally considered suitable for gout as they are associated with reducing uric acid levels.