Green radish and carrot soup (青红萝卜汤)
Unlike adults, when babies and toddlers develop phlegm, it usually takes longer for them to clear it. One reason is they do not know how to split out the phlegm. Even my 5 year old son is still unable to do so even after teaching him how to do it. So far, he only managed to split out saliva, but not the phlegm. The only consolation is he knows how to clear his blocked nose.
I, like most parents, have been searching a remedy for clearing phlegm. Alas! I have yet to find the miracle remedy except to rely on medication prescribed by the pediatrician and avoid giving him certain known phlegm-inducing food like citrus fruit. I still believe the best remedy is to get adequate sleep and have a proper diet so as to boost our body’s immune system naturally. So far, I noticed this has helped my son to recover quickly.
Recently, I chanced upon this soup recipe from a Chinese soup recipe book which is said to be a remedy for those with a sore throat and lots of phlegm. It is written by Chiu Sang (赵生), a well known Hong Kong author, columnist, guest speaker and TV guest host relating to Chinese medicine.
Other benefits mentioned in the cookbook for this soup include helping in the strengthening of one’s spleen and throat, promote urination, clears excess body heat, ease mental stress, expel phlegm and stop coughing.
Below are the functions of each of the ingredients used in the soup:
- Green radish and carrot (青红萝卜) – clear heat, ease mental stress, promote urination and expel dampness.
- Bitter and sweet almonds (北南杏) (also known as bitter and sweet apricot kernels or seeds) – nourish the lungs, ease shortness of breath, expel phlegm and stop coughing. (Note: These ingredients can be used in making apple soup). Sweet almonds/ sweet apricot kernels or seeds (南杏)- It tastes sweet and is neutral in nature. It is non-toxic and relieves cough. Bitter almonds/ bitter apricot kernels or seeds (北杏)- It heals cough and expels phlegm. [WARNING: As bitter almond carries a slight trace of toxins (cyanide), please use it with extreme caution. There is a concern about the potential health effects associated with large numbers of bitter apricot kernels being consumed on a regular basis, particularly by young children (as mentioned in this link). It is also not advisable for pregnant ladies. If you’re not comfortable eating it, then exclude it from the recipe. Other reading reference: Is it safe to eat bitter apricot kernels by David Lebovitz.
- Candied dates (蜜枣) – nourish the body, cure asthenia, strengthen and energize the body
This soup is also very simple-to-made and tastes delicious. Hence, I love making this soup for my family. Just how effective this soup is in remedying cough and phlegm, I am not sure. But, no harm trying it out and judge it for yourself.
Wishing all parents in Singapore and Malaysia having a wonderful June holiday breaks!
>>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for green radish and carrot soup recipe ……………
Never saw GREEN radish before…very interesting!
Angie: It’s new to me too! 😉
The green radish is so interesting! I have yet to see one here. This soup must be very sweet, I like what you put in it.
LCOM: Yes, it has the natural sweetness. 😉
This soup really is full of superfoods! I am going to make it next time I have a cold. I hate phlegm. It just feels so….icky.
Joanne: A good remedy to bookmark in your cooking list. 😉
I’ve never seen green radish before. My mum used to boil Chinese pear and almond 北南杏soup for us when we have cough.
Pigpigscorner: It’s the 1st time I cooked green radish. I will share a recipe using Chinese pear and Chinese almonds in my upcoming post soon. 😉
hehee…I just cooked this yesterday ;DD
Anncoo: Oh, what a co-incidence! Looking forward to see your post soon. 😉
This looks gorgeous LK. It really looks so good. I want to try it soon…
And I’m so intrigued by all the ingredients I’m not familiar with! Think it’s time for another wandering around the wet market…
Clare (Mrs Multitasker): Thanks for your compliment! Hope you will love it. 😉
Oh and how did you get the beautiful chinese calligraphy font??
Clare (Mrs Multitasker): I can’t recall how I found this font but there are many nice Chinese fonts for free downloading at this link (http://www.wazu.jp/gallery/Fonts_ChineseTraditional.html). Hope it helps!
Hello, I know the feeling , i hate it when that happens. Although not sure my son is going to swallow that soup. looks lovely by the way 🙂
Peanutts: Yeah, that’s why it is important to make sure our kids have a strong immune system. Thanks! You can try my apple soup instead. 😉
I didn’t know there’s green radish!
The Peach Kitchen
blowing peachkisses
peach and things
Peachkins: It’s new to me too. 😉
where can i get this green radish?
Tammy: You can find it either in the wet market or NTUC supermarket. 😉
Is the green radish tastes like white radish?
Little Inbox: White radish is sweeter. Give it a try if you can find it. 😉
The raw green radish looks like candied lime slices. So cute!! I’ve never came across green radish before…
Swee San: Hahaha! What a good comparison! 😉
wow i love this soup, must try this coming weekend! 🙂
BBO: Yeah, definitely worth trying this nutritious soup! 😉
Just awesome, such a nutricious soup yet simple to make! lovely
Sidney: Thanks! Give it a try! 😉
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Oh! I need this and I would give it a try as my son also having cough and phlegm, including myself…. 🙁 Thanks for sharing!
Alice: Hope he will get well soon. 😉
Oh I see. Ok, will give it a try soon. 🙂
Little Inbox: Looking forward to hearing your feedback. Happy trying! 😉
This soup is so nourishing. I love your photos – I have problems capturing Chinese soups hehe … and I heard raves about green carrot for detoxification as well, so yummy.
Noobcook: Thanks! Your shots look perfect to me. This detoxification sounds great to me! Got to read out more about it. 😉
I enjoy green radish soup but I hardly find them in the supermarket. So my regular is white radish which clears phlegm too and quite a comfort for me when I have stubborn phlegm as well. I like natural remedy – does not matter if scientifically proven since I believe it nourishes us in one way or another.
Tigerfish: I saw green radish in NTUC supermarket. Natural remedy is good but it will depend on individual’s health condition for its effectiveness. 😉
Oh, love this soup from childhood. I don’t know why my mum cooked this soup for us. I just love having it all the time. Whenever I come across good quality of 青蘿蔔, I’ll definitely cook this soup for my family. 🙂
Christine: Unlike you, this soup is my current discovery. Maybe it is not popular in my hometown. 😉
I never knew this soup was good for sore throat. Hmm I’ll have to take note next time .. haha not that I would like to be down with a bad throat. Lovely pictures.
Jo: It’s new to me too. Thanks! 😉
Very nice. I like green radish but they are very hard to find in Australia
Anh: Thanks! Maybe this radish is not very popular in Australia. Just my guess. 😉
Must be a sweet soup for healing throat!
Dora: Yeah, it has natural sweetness. Very soothing for the throat too. Remember to bookmark this recipe yeah. 😉
wonderful soup, I bet it would make anyone feel better…grenn radishes wow I must try to find these..
sweetlife
Sweetlife: Hope you get to find the ingredients and try it out. 😉
hi, i very frequent boiled this soup for my family. you may try this recipe too…GREEN + RED + WHITE RADISH , pork and dry oyster (hou si)..the taste is fantastic. i had this recipe from one Australia aunty which i meet her in one of our local super market…HAPPY TRYING !
Christine: You are so kind. Thanks for your recipe. Yeah, I have this tripple radishes soup recipe but haven’t tried it out yet. I was told by my friend that it is not advisable to consume carrot and white radish at the same time because it will affect the absoption of the nutrients. If you can read Chinese, it is also mentioned in this link (http://wenda.tianya.cn/wenda/thread?tid=07087eea73892e82). 😉
yay! green radish is available at my local asian supermarket. i will definitely try this..thanks for sharing.
CJ: Oh! That’s great! Happy trying! 😉
Oh! You are here! I’ve missed out so much about your blog. I think I’ve added you in my blog list but somehow I just realized you’ve moved to a new link. No wonder I didn’t read your posting for so long. So sorry about that! Oh no.. I’ve really miss out a lot of your cooking and baking. Ok, I got to update my blog list now. Cheers!
Kitchen Corner: Hi Grace, welcome to my new home! Glad you find your way here. Hehehe! Thank you very much for updating my new link in your blog list!! Hope to see you again! 😉
Hi hi .. I would like to cook this soup for my daughter and husband. Both are down with cough and have lots of phlegm. Would like to know where to buy the sweet almonds?
Jenny: You can buy them from any Chinese medicine hall like Yu Ren Shen or Hock Hua (if you are in Singapore). Hope both of them have a speedy recovery. 😉
Thank you : ) Looking forward to the soup ..
Jenny: You’re always welcome. 😉 Looking forward to your feedback! 😉
Hi there, I tried out the recipe last Saturday and it was well received by both my husband and daughter. I will definitely try it again : ) Thank you : )
Jenny: It’s my pleasure. Glad to receive such a great response. Thanks for your kind support and hope to hearing more feedbacks from you. 😉
Hi, where i can get the green radish? i cant find it in Medan!
MK: I’m not sure about Medan. But if you’re in Singapore, you can find it in supermarket or wet market. 😉
can I replace with white radish ?
MK: I don’t recommend you to replace green radish with white radish. This is because I was told by my friend that it is not advisable to consume carrot and white radish at the same time as it will affect the absoption of the nutrients. If you can read Chinese, it is also mentioned in this link (http://wenda.tianya.cn/wenda/thread?tid=07087eea73892e82).
ok. noted thks! i just tried to cook it with carrot and the meat only! my girls love it too!
MK: Yeah, give it a try! 😉
Hi,
Would it be safe for a 22mths old toddler to consume the Green Radish and Red Carrot Soup you have written? The purpose is to help my nephew to get rid of phelgm which is lingering after a cold. I am not sure whether the sweet almonds will pose any ‘nut’ allergies issue? I do not wish to use the bitter almonds if I am making the soup. Many thanks for your advice.
Alethea Chan: It is advisable to introduce any nuts, tree nuts or nut related recipes to your nephew at a later date. Since he is only 22 months old, I would suggest that you consult his pediatrician for advice and medication on how to clear his phelgm. Hope it helps.
Where can I find Green Radish in Melbourne? Are they seasonal?
I saw another recipe using green apples, is it ok to replace them for the same outcome i.e. to rid the phlegm and cough?
I actually tried eating the chinese pears instead of making it into soup thinking that it will rid my sorethroat and cough but i ended up with more coughing….
HT: Sorry, I’m not sure about Melbourne. They are not seasonal. Maybe you can try to find them in any Asian stores or supermarket at Chinatown. I haven’t tried substituting green apples for this recipe but I did share a similar recipe that used red apples as shown in this link: https://food-4tots.com/2009/07/25/apple-soup/. It is not advisable to eat raw Chinese pears if you are having sore throat and cough. If your sore throat and cough still persist, I suggest that you seek advices from your family doctor. Hope you have a speedy recovery. 🙂
Where can I get the green radish in PJ/KL area?
Annie: Sorry, I’m not sure about it as I haven’t been to PJ/KL markets for a long time after moving to Singapore. Maybe you can try wet market at Kepong Baru or SS2. 😉
Hi Lai Kuan,
I tried this soup yesterday and it was tasty like you said! 😀 I have been seeing this interesting root veggie for a while but don’t know how to cook it until you shared it on your blog. My girl and hubby were both coughing and this soup was just what they need! Thanks 😀
Ling: Thanks for your kind feedback. It seems that the sick flu is everywhere now. Hope both your hubby and gal have a speedy recovery! 😉
Thanks, Lai Kuan. The whole family came down with flu or cold of some sort…spread to one another lah. But we are on our way to recovery now. Thank God.
BTW, for the both times I cooked this soup, the green radish was quite bitter. Another mother told me this was not supposed to be the case. Any idea? I read that radish could be bitter depending on colour and season…but I wish to know how to pick those that are not bitter…
Ling: Sorry for the late reply. Hope your family are fully recovered by now. I’m not sure about the problem you encountered. So far, mine tastes quite ok even though it is not super sweet. Did you peel the skin deep enough?
Hi Lai Kuan,
Thanks for your concern. We’re more or less well now 🙂
I peeled the skin as I would with other root veggies…I shall do deep peeling the next time. Ya, I heard from one mom about using carrot, green and white radish too in her soup. Just the other day, I was thinking about putting carrot and daikon in my miso soup…having second thoughts now!
Ling: Adding daikon to miso soup is a great idea but not with carrot. I had tried it before. 😉
Does white radish with carrot have the same purpose as green radish with carrot?
Eliza: So sorry, I’m not sure. 🙂
I was told that the ratio for sweet & bitter almonds is 2:1 and I adj to 20 & 10gm, and lean pork to Pork loin(rib) instead. Is the soup supposed to be sweet as i find it like drinking deesert? lol.
Huiqi: This recipe is adapted from a book written by Chiu Sang (赵生), a well known Hong Kong author, columnist, guest speaker and TV guest host relating to Chinese medicine. But you are free to adjust the ingredients to suit your liking. This soup has the natural sweetness but doesn’t taste as sweet as dessert. Maybe during simmering, your heat source is slightly higher than mine. So. it will cause more water to be evaporated making the soup sweeter at the end of simmering. Thus, I would suggest that you use 1.8 liter in your next attempt.
Hi Can green carrot mix with red carrot? I read a article before saying that Red n Green Carrot cannot be cook together as the red carrot will destroy the vitamins of the green carrot.
Eat Wat: As what I have read online, carrot (胡萝卜）is not recommended to be consumed with daikon (white radish 白萝卜) but not green radish. You can refer to the links below (in Chinese):
a) http://wenda.tianya.cn/question/07087eea73892e82.
b) http://www.120ask.com/question/13104650.htm
Green radish and carrot soup is a common soup in Hong Kong and Macau (as per this link – http://www.baike.com/wiki/%E9%9D%92%E7%BA%A2%E8%90%9D%E5%8D%9C%E7%89%9B%E8%82%89%E6%B1%A4). I have found a reply given by a Chinese doctor that it is fine to consume green radish and carrot together(audio file: http://www.120ask.com/question/25768027.htm).
I would be glad if you have other new findings to share with me. Thank you.
Hi! Do you know if I can use the sweet almonds then for 2 year old toddler? Thanks! 🙂