Three-Bean Sweet Soup (San Dou Tang)

Why people make this soup

Hand-foot-mouth disease spreads easily among young children, particularly those aged 2–5. Common signs include fever, poor appetite, mouth sores, and a rash on the hands and feet. While prevention is mostly about hygiene — thorough handwashing, avoiding crowded spaces when an outbreak is circulating — supportive food therapy has a role to play in keeping young bodies resilient.

Traditional Chinese medicine classifies hand-foot-mouth disease as a “damp-heat” pattern, which points toward food therapy that clears heat, supports the body’s ability to handle “toxins,” and strengthens the spleen (the digestive system). This simple three-bean sweet soup does exactly that — using everyday beans that most households can keep in the pantry.

Nourilo also shares a practical tip for children who are already suffering from mouth sores and refusing to eat: blend the cooked soup into a smooth paste, set it with gelatine powder, and serve it cold as a jelly. Cold, smooth, and sweet — most children will accept it even when swallowing is painful.

Method

1. Rinse and soak the beans for about 30 minutes.
2. Place all three beans, the tangerine peel, and the water in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
3. Cook for 1 hour, until the beans are completely soft.
4. Add rock sugar and stir until dissolved.
5. Serve warm. Children can eat both the soup and the beans.
6. For children with active mouth sores who refuse to eat: blend the fully cooked soup into a smooth paste, mix with unflavoured gelatine powder according to the packet instructions, pour into a mould, and refrigerate until set. Serve as a cold, soft jelly — the smooth, cool texture is much easier to eat with a sore mouth.

Nourilo’s Tips

This soup is good for healthy children as everyday support, not only when illness is circulating. The key step for children already affected by mouth sores is the jelly technique: blend everything smooth and chill it. If the adzuki bean texture is too firm even after blending, cook the beans extra long until completely collapsed. The cold jelly method is one of Nourilo’s most practical suggestions for parents of young children.