Lotus Seed & Lily Bulb Soup

Name: Lotus Seed & Lily Bulb Soup
Prep time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: Lotus seeds — 1/2 cup; Dried lily bulbs — 1/4 cup; Red dates — 4 pieces; Water — 6 cups; Rock sugar — to taste

Earth Element · 土 Sweet Neutral

My mother brewed this whenever exams loomed. The name for it in our family was simply "calm down soup."

Prep 60 min

Servings 4 servings

Element Earth 土

Total 60 min

By FiveFlavor Kitchen Reviewed by Dr. M. Wu, L.Ac. Updated August 17, 2026

Why This Elixir Works

Lotus seed is sweet and neutral, calming the Heart and supporting the Spleen. Lily bulb is sweet and cool, nourishing the Lung and quieting the mind. Together: the classic calming pair.

Earth element · Sweet phase of the five-flavor cycle

Ingredients

Lotus seeds 1/2 cup
Dried lily bulbs 1/4 cup
Red dates 4 pieces
Water 6 cups
Rock sugar to taste

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The Refining Process

Step 1
Soak lotus seeds and lily bulbs 30 minutes.
Step 2
Simmer everything except sugar in water 45 minutes.
Step 3
Sweeten and serve warm or at room temperature.

Alchemist's Note

Educational purposes only.

Lotus seeds and lily bulbs — two of the quietest ingredients in the Chinese pantry — simmered into a pale, soothing soup that tastes like stillness.