Lychee, lotus seed & Chinese yam sweet soup
Early-summer lychees with lotus seeds, Chinese yam and a slice of old ginger — sweet, warming and no sugar needed.
- 55 min
- Serves 2
- Simmer
- Easy
Why it suits you: Yang Deficiency means feeling the cold, and office air-conditioning leaves hands and feet icy. Lychees are warm and come into season around Grain Buds; with spleen- and kidney-supporting lotus seeds and yam plus warming ginger, this beats an iced drink.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 40 min- 1Rinse the lotus seeds. Wearing gloves, peel the yam and cut into thick slices. Peel and stone the lychees.
- 2Put the water, lotus seeds, red dates and ginger in a pot, bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 25 minutes until the lotus seeds are soft and floury.
- 3Add the yam and simmer for 8–10 minutes until cooked through.
- 4Add the lychees for the last 2–3 minutes, then turn off the heat. Taste, and add a little sugar only if needed. Drink warm or pour into a flask.
Cautions
- Don't eat lots of lychees on an empty stomach — it can cause low blood sugar. With diabetes, halve the lychees and skip the sugar.
- Pause it if you have a sore throat, spots or other signs of internal heat.
Chef's tips
- Choose lychees with red, firm shells. Add them last — overcooked lychees fall apart and turn sour.
- Soak the lotus seeds overnight in the fridge and they soften in 15 minutes.
The TCM view
Lychee is sweet, sour and warm and supports the spleen and blood; lotus seed is sweet, astringent and neutral and steadies digestion and the kidneys; Chinese yam is sweet and neutral and supports the spleen, lungs and kidneys; ginger and red dates warm the middle. Warming without drying, it supports yang and helps the spleen cope with humid heat.
