Soups

Chuanbei, Snow Pear, and Pork Lung Soup

Chuanbei, Snow Pear, and Pork Lung Soup is a classic traditional Cantonese medicinal soup, originating from the Family Dietary Therapy Handbook as a lung-moistening medicinal recipe. Made with pork lung, snow pear, and Chuanbei (Fritillaria cirrhosa) as the main ingredients, it is slowly simmered to perfection. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the principle of "using lung to nourish lung" is well established. Pork lung is neutral in nature and sweet in taste, channeling to the Lung meridian. It is known for tonifying lung deficiency, stopping coughs, and arresting bleeding. Snow pear is cool in nature, sweet and slightly sour in taste, and channels to the Lung and Stomach meridians. It moistens the lungs, promotes salivation, clears heat, and resolves phlegm. The Compendium of Materia Medica records that it "moistens the lungs, cools the heart, resolves phlegm, and lowers fire". Chuanbei is bitter, sweet, and slightly cold in nature, known for moistening the lungs, relieving coughs, and resolving phlegm. Together, pork lung tonifies lung deficiency, snow pear clears lung dryness and heat, and Chuanbei relieves coughs and resolves phlegm — achieving the combined effects of clearing dryness, moistening the lungs, resolving phlegm, and stopping coughs. The soup is clear with a slight white tint, featuring the natural sweetness of pear intertwined with the mild herbal aroma of Chuanbei, with tender, smooth pork lung. It is especially suitable for autumn and winter dryness and those with lung-dryness cough.

Soups
p2
Moisten the lungs and generate fluids
Clears the Lung and resolves phlegm.
transform phlegm and relieve cough
reduce swelling and dissipate nodules
supplement the middle and benefit qi
Recovery Meals
Office Wellness
Gathering & Sharing

Servings: 4
Prep: 60 min
Cook: 180 min

Main Ingredients

Pork lung 250-400g (about half a piece)
Snow pear 1-2 pieces (approx. 200-400g)
Chuanbei (Fritillaria cirrhosa) 15g
Rock sugar 25g
Fresh ginger 5 slices
Honey dates 4 pieces
Goji berries 8g
Cooking wine (or baijiu) A splash
Salt To taste
Water 2500ml

Steps

Place the lung's trachea under running water and rinse repeatedly, squeezing the lung lobes to expel blood and foam. Repeat 8-10 times until the squeezed-out water runs clear with no visible blood foam. This is the key to removing odor and impurities — do not skip.
Cut the cleaned pork lung into large chunks of about 4-5 cm (pork lung shrinks significantly during cooking — do not cut too small). Place the chunks in a bowl, add a little salt and water, scrub for 2-3 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.
Place the pork lung chunks in a pot with enough cold water to cover, add 2-3 slices of ginger and a splash of cooking wine. Bring to a boil over high heat and continue boiling for 3-5 minutes, skimming off any foam that rises. Remove the lung, rinse thoroughly with warm water to remove all impurities, and drain.
Place the blanched pork lung in a dry hot wok (or with a little oil), add 2-3 slices of ginger, and stir-fry over low heat until the surface moisture evaporates, the lung turns slightly golden, and a rich aroma develops. This step further removes any gamey smell and enhances the soup's flavor.
Chuanbei: Rinse and gently crush with the back of a knife or grind into coarse powder (to release active compounds). Snow pear: Rinse, cut into 4-6 wedges with the skin on, remove the core and stem. Pear skin is rich in nutrients and aids in clearing heat — keep it on. Honey dates (if using): Rinse and lightly crack. Goji berries (if using): Briefly soak in water and drain.
Bring sufficient water (approx. 2000-2500ml) to a boil in a pot. Once boiling, add the prepared pork lung, pear wedges, crushed Chuanbei, honey dates (if using), and remaining ginger slices.
Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 2-3 hours. Simmer until the soup turns slightly white, the pear is translucent and soft, and the pork lung is tender and flavorful.
10-15 minutes before turning off the heat, add rock sugar and goji berries (if using), stirring until dissolved. Add salt to taste just before serving. Do not add salt too early, as it may toughen the meat.

TCM Notes

Nutritional Value of Pork Lung (per 100g): Pork lung is rich in protein and various minerals. Vitamin A and zinc in pork lung promote respiratory mucosal repair. The protein in pork lung is easily digestible and absorbable, making it suitable for those recovering from illness. Nutritional Value of Chuanbei: Chuanbei contains multiple alkaloids (such as fritillarine, chuanbein, etc.), sterols, starch, and other components. These alkaloids can dilate bronchial smooth muscle and reduce secretions, thereby exerting cough-relieving and phlegm-resolving effects. Traditional Chinese Medicine Perspective: Pork lung: Sweet, neutral, channels to the Lung meridian. Tonifies lung deficiency, stops cough, arrests bleeding. The Supplemented Essentials of Materia Medica records: "Pork lung tonifies the lung and treats lung-deficiency cough". Snow pear: Sweet and slightly sour, cool, channels to the Lung and Stomach. Moistens lungs, promotes salivation, clears heat, resolves phlegm. Chuanbei: Bitter and sweet, slightly cold, channels to the Lung and Heart. Clears heat, moistens lungs, resolves phlegm, relieves cough, disperses nodules. Rock sugar: Sweet, neutral, channels to the Lung and Stomach. Tonifies the middle, supplements qi, moistens lungs, stops cough. Modern Nutrition Research: Lung-moistening and cough relief: Chuanbei alkaloids dilate bronchi and reduce secretions; the water and pectin in snow pear soothe the throat mucosa; pork lung nourishes the lung through the principle of "like nourishes like". Together, they significantly improve lung-dryness cough and difficult-to-expectorate phlegm. Enhanced respiratory immunity: Vitamin A and zinc in pork lung promote respiratory mucosal repair; vitamin C from pear and polysaccharides from Chuanbei enhance phagocyte activity, improving the upper respiratory tract's defense against pathogens. Moisturizing and dryness relief: Snow pear has a water content of over 85%, earning it the nickname "natural mineral water". Combined with rock sugar's saliva-promoting effects, it effectively relieves autumn/winter dry mouth and thirst.

Suitable for：Those with lung-dryness cough (dry cough with no or scanty, sticky phlegm that is difficult to expectorate) Those with chronic bronchitis and tuberculosis (adjunctive therapy for cough and hemoptysis) Long-term smokers (lung-clearing and moisturizing) Those with dry throat, itchy throat, and thirst during autumn/winter Elderly with dry cough without phlegm and internal heat Those in recovery from upper respiratory infections with persistent cough Those with hypertension, heart disease, hepatitis, and liver cirrhosis (adjunctive therapy) Generally suitable for most people in moderation during dry seasons

Not suitable for：Those with excessive cold-phlegm or damp-phlegm: Characterized by thin, white, copious phlegm that is easy to expectorate — not suitable (this soup is cooling and moistening, suitable for dry-heat coughs; it may worsen cold-damp phlegm conditions) Those with spleen-stomach deficiency-cold: Cold abdominal pain and loose stools — not suitable Diabetics: Snow pear and rock sugar are high in sugar — strictly control intake (recommend omitting rock sugar and reducing pear by half) Those in early stages of wind-cold colds: Chills, fever, no sweating, clear nasal discharge — not suitable (cooling and moistening ingredients may trap pathogens inside) Those with diarrhea: Pear is cooling and rich in pectin, which may worsen diarrhea Those allergic to Chuanbei, snow pear, or pork lung Pregnant and breastfeeding women: Should consume only under medical supervision Those with hyperlipidemia or gout (hyperuricemia): Can omit pork lung and simply simmer Chuanbei and pear in water

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