Nourilo

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Watercress, Carrot, Fig and Dried Duck Gizzard Soup

traditionally supports clearing lung heat and relieving dryness

In short: Watercress, Carrot, Fig and Dried Duck Gizzard Soup is a soup that traditionally supports clearing lung heat and relieving dryness. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, cooling & summer heat, everyday balance. Total time about 2 hr 15 min. Key ingredients: watercress, carrot, figs, sweet and bitter apricot kernels.

By · Published under our editorial policy · Research library

Prep
15 min
Cook
2 hr
Total
2 hr 15 min
Makes
1.2–1.5 L
Respiratory & Lung WellnessCooling & Summer HeatEveryday Balance
Watercress, Carrot, Fig and Dried Duck Gizzard Soup

Why people make this soup

When the weather turns dry and warm, Cantonese households often reach for a big pot of slow-cooked watercress soup. Nourilo put this one together on a particularly dry January day, combining watercress with figs, apricot kernels and dried duck gizzard — a combination that has been used for generations to help the body deal with what traditional food therapy calls “lung and stomach heat.” If dry weather has left you feeling a bit parched, scratchy, or sluggish in the gut, this is a comforting and genuinely tasty pot of soup to try.

What studies say about the key ingredients

Traditional use is not the same as clinical proof. Here is the strongest human research we found for each ingredient, limitations included.

  • Tangerine peel · Randomized controlled trial, 72 participants · 2025
    The tangerine peel drink group showed significant reductions in body weight and triglycerides after the intervention compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Safety markers showed no adverse effects. Gut microbiota and serum metabolite profiles also differed.Limitation: Small pilot trial with only 55 of 72 participants completing. The fermented product is not the same as plain tangerine peel, and the control group is not described.PubMed 40225325

From the Nourilo Research Library. Findings come from specific doses, extracts and populations and may not apply to a home-cooked recipe.

Safety first — read before you cook

This is a traditional food, not a treatment. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before making it a regular part of your diet if you:

  • are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are cooking for a young child;
  • take regular medicines — especially blood thinners, blood-pressure, diabetes or immune-suppressing drugs;
  • have a kidney, liver or heart condition, or a known food allergy.

Ingredient notes for this recipe

  • Apricot kernels: Raw apricot kernels contain amygdalin, which turns into cyanide after eating. EFSA estimates that half of one small raw kernel can exceed the safe level for a toddler. Use no more than the recipe states, never eat them raw, and do not serve them to young children. Source: European Food Safety Authority

Stop eating it and seek advice if you notice an allergic reaction or feel unwell. Safety notes reviewed 8 October 2026 · How we write safety notes

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