Soups
Tang Ge Cai (Wild Watercress) and Monk Fruit Lean Pork Soup
Traditionally used to clear lung heat, reduce phlegm, and soothe persistent coughs
Why people make this soup
Tang ge cai is one of those humble vegetables that carries a disproportionate amount of food-therapy history. Related to the watercress family, it has a slightly peppery, earthy flavour and has been used in Cantonese kitchens for generations to address lung heat, phlegm buildup, and lingering coughs. It is available at Chinese or Asian grocers alongside other wild greens. Paired with monk fruit (luo han guo), which is intensely sweet and traditionally cooling to the lungs, this soup comes together as something genuinely pleasant to drink — sweet and clean-tasting, not medicinal — while addressing the kind of damp, phlegmy cough that tends to hang around after a cold.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Well suited to adults and children with a productive cough with yellow or thick phlegm, lung heat, or persistent post-cold cough
- Also helpful for people who feel overheated internally, have poor appetite, or feel discomfort in the upper abdomen
- Suitable for the whole family; tang ge cai is a safe and common vegetable
- Those with a cold-type constitution or who are already feeling chilly may wish to add a slice or two of ginger to warm the preparation
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Wild watercress / tang ge cai (Rorippa indica): Contains a compound called glucosinolate that has been identified in modern studies as having cough-calming and phlegm-dissolving properties. It also shows inhibitory effects against pneumococcal bacteria and flu bacilli. Traditionally used to clear bone heat, treat wind-cold cough (with ginger), and soothe lung-heat cough (with white radish).
- Monk fruit / luo han guo (Siraitia grosvenorii): A well-known Cantonese kitchen staple. Intensely sweet but low in sugar. Traditionally associated with cooling the lungs, moistening dryness, and easing a sore, dry throat.
- Lean pork: Provides a mild, clean base for the broth and adds protein without overpowering the delicate flavour of the greens.
Ingredients (4 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wild watercress (tang ge cai) | about 225 g | Remove roots, rinse, cut into sections |
| Golden monk fruit (jin luo han guo) | 1 fruit | Crack or break open |
| Lean pork | about 300 g | Cut into thick slices, blanch |
| Water | 8 bowls | About 2 litres |
Method
- Remove the roots from the tang ge cai, rinse thoroughly, and cut into sections.
- Crack the monk fruit open.
- Cut the lean pork into thick slices and blanch in boiling water, then drain and rinse off any foam.
- Place the pork and monk fruit in a pot with 8 bowls of water. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat.
- Add the tang ge cai, bring back to a boil, then reduce to a medium-low simmer.
- Cook for about 2 hours until the soup reduces to roughly 4 bowls. Serve.
Bro Niu’s tips
This soup has a naturally sweet, pleasant flavour and is good for the whole family regardless of age. Tang ge cai contains a compound that has been shown in studies to calm coughs and dissolve phlegm, and to inhibit the bacteria associated with pneumonia and influenza — making this a soup that stands up to some scrutiny from a modern perspective, not just a traditional one.
Published June 22, 2022 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.
