Watercress, Almond and Fig Pork Lung Soup

Why people make this soup

Watercress peaks in winter, and in Cantonese food culture that is a signal to start cooking it. Known in Chinese as “western vegetable” (xi yang cai) or bean-leaf vegetable (dou ban cai), it has long been used as a cooling, cleansing ingredient — thought to clear heat from the lungs and stomach, support the urinary system, and help the skin stay clear. When the autumn and winter air turns dry and scratchy throats appear, Nourilo reaches for this soup: watercress paired with almonds, figs, and pork lung for a combination that is traditionally considered particularly helpful for dry coughs, parched throats, and constipation caused by heat and dryness.