Seasonal TCM Dietetics — Summer

Summer recipes

Cooling, Heat-clearing and fluid-preserving dishes for hot, humid months — written to be cooked from, not just read.

Each recipe has a full ingredient list, step-by-step method and a printable A4 recipe card you can hand to a patient or stick on the kitchen wall.

Mung Bean & Lotus Seed Congee
綠豆蓮子粥 · Lǜ Dòu Lián Zǐ Zhōu
A classic clearing congee for sweltering days — mung bean drains Summer Heat while lotus seed steadies a restless Shén.
Summer HeatCooling
55 minCook it
Watermelon, Mint & Lime Granita
西瓜薄荷沙冰 · Xī Guā Bò Hé Shā Bīng
Watermelon (西瓜) is the archetypal Heat-clearing fruit; paired with mint it gently vents an over-bright Heart on humid evenings.
Heart FireCooling
4 hCook it
Winter Melon & Job's Tears Soup
冬瓜薏米湯 · Dōng Guā Yì Mǐ Tāng
Winter melon and Yì Mǐ together drain Damp-Heat through the Lower Jiāo — a staple in muggy southern summers.
Damp-HeatCool
1 h 15 minCook it
Chrysanthemum & Goji Cooling Tea
菊花枸杞茶 · Jú Huā Gǒu Qǐ Chá
A daily sipping tea that cools the Liver, brightens the eyes and softens the irritability that creeps in with long hot days.
Liver Heat risingCool
12 minCook it
Silken Tofu with Century Egg & Sesame
皮蛋豆腐 · Pí Dàn Dòu Fu
Tofu nourishes Stomach Yīn and generates fluids — a five-minute summer lunch when the body is dry and overheated.
Yīn DeficiencyCool
5 minCook it
Cucumber, Seaweed & Sesame Salad
海帶黃瓜涼拌 · Hǎi Dài Huáng Guā Liáng Bàn
Cucumber clears Heat and promotes urination; seaweed softens hardness — a crisp side dish that takes the edge off a hot week.
Damp-Heat / Stagnant HeatCooling
20 minCook it

Mung Bean & Lotus Seed Congee