Written and Photographed by Billy Cheung
Edited by The Fête Chinoise Team

My family’s version of this soup is simple to make and is also delicious! The slight citrus notes from the tangerine peel pairs well with the earthy flavours of the beans and barley. The addition of the pear gives the soup a freshness and gentle sweetness that help to balance all the dried ingredients. Whether in the winter or spring, a nourishing soup is comforting and allows us to feel connected to our culture and family roots!

You may need to go to a specialty grocery store or a Chinese pharmacy (sometimes paired with a Chinese Medicine doctor’s practice) to pick up some of these ingredients, since they might not be available in your local supermarket. Because many of the ingredients come in a dehydrated or dried form, they may sit in your pantry for a long period of time. Once you make this soup, you’ll want to drink it more often, not only for the taste but also for the benefits for your skin.

Each ingredient has healthy benefits, which I was also curious about, and researched in the context of Traditional Chinese Medicine.  

Goji Berries balance the Qi in your liver and kidneys and helps with your vision.
Dried Yam nourishes your spleen and kidneys.
Chinaroot detoxifies your liver and stomach.
Lotus Seeds strengthens your kidneys and heart.
Tangerine Peel targets the spleen and lungs and helps with coughing.

Here’s how you can make this at home yourself!

Popo’s Chinese Beauty Soup RECIPE

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 1.25 hours

Ingredients:

2L of water

20g of Dried Goji Berries

20g of Dried Red Dates

20g of Dried Sliced Yams

20g of Smilax Glabra Root (Chinaroot)

20g of Red Beans

20g of Barley

20g of Lotus Seeds

20g of Brown Sugar

1 Ya Pear (Chinese White Pear) Peeled and Chunked

1 Dried Tangerine Peel