Soups
Watercress, Carrot, and Fresh Fish Soup
traditionally used to clear lung and stomach heat, support hydration, and ease dry throat or dry cough
In short: Watercress, Carrot, and Fresh Fish Soup is a soup that traditionally used to clear lung and stomach heat, support hydration, and ease dry throat or dry cough. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, digestive wellness, cooling & summer heat. Total time about 110 min. Key ingredients: watercress, carrot.
Why people make this soup
When the weather turns dry, it shows up on your skin first: hands feel tight and rough no matter how much lotion you apply, and your throat starts to feel scratchy. In Cantonese cooking, watercress is a celebrated seasonal green for exactly this time of year. At its peak now, watercress has a clean, slightly peppery fragrance and is traditionally thought to be excellent for clearing heat that accumulates in the lungs and stomach.
Nourilo notes that the key to this soup is adding the watercress to already-boiling water — drop it in cold and you’ll get a bitter, astringent taste instead of its natural sweet fragrance. Combined with carrot, preserved duck gizzard (which adds depth and a pleasant chewiness), and lightly pan-fried fish for richness, this is a soup that is as delicious to eat as it is helpful for the body.
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
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.
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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