One may not be familiar with the name monk fruit, but I'm sure most have heard of Buddha fruit (It was first used by Buddhist monks in the 13th century, hence the fruit’s unusual name), or luo han guo (Luo Han means monk and Guo means fruit). This fruit has been used for thousands of years as both a medicinal remedy for a variety of diseases and a useful food additive, namely as an artificial sweetener - its extract is 150 to 200 times sweeter than sugar with no impact on blood sugar levels, and contains zero calories. Some of the most important health benefits of monk fruit include its ability to treat diabetes, help with weight loss, prevent allergies, prevent certain types of cancer (It's packed with antioxidants), stop coughs and clear phlegm. Fresh monk fruit doesn't store well, so it is usually dried and used to make medicinal teas. 

However, not everyone is a fan of monk fruit’s fruity taste, and that includes my hubby and I :P. It has an 'off' or unpleasant aftertaste. So instead of making the tea like what most people usually do, I used it to boil soup with other ingredients to mask some of the unwanted aftertaste. This soup is said to be suitable for coughs, weak lungs, heaty body, flu and can help to prevent cold too! 

This soup is naturally sweet because of the monk fruit and honey dates.

Both watercress and monk fruit helps to nourish lungs and intestines, expel phlegm, expel heat, stop cough, improve dry throats and constipation.