Soups
Astragalus, Cinnamon-Twig and Spatholobus Chicken Soup
Traditionally used to warm a cold constitution and support a comfortable cycle
Why people make this soup
Some women run cold by constitution, with hands and feet that never quite warm up all year — especially office workers who sit in air-conditioning. Add cold drinks or too much cooling fruit in summer and the womb chills easily, which can bring uncomfortable, cramping periods and even achy joints on the stairs. This “astragalus, cinnamon-twig and spatholobus soup” is traditionally enjoyed to support qi and the body’s defences and to warm and move the blood — a kind choice for a cold constitution, irregular comfort during the cycle, and cold hands and feet.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- People with a cold constitution: persistently cold hands and feet, womb-cold cramps, achy joints.
- Not suitable for those with yin-deficiency heat, pregnant women, or anyone with a fever or active cold.
- If menstrual pain is severe or your cycle changes markedly, please see a doctor.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Astragalus (bei qi): Traditionally used to support qi and the body’s surface defences.
- Cinnamon twig (gui zhi): A warming herb traditionally used to warm the channels and disperse cold.
- Spatholobus vine (ji xue teng): Traditionally used to nourish and move the blood, and to ease achy joints.
- Ginger & red dates (sheng jiang, hong zao): Warm the centre and round out the soup.
Ingredients (4 bowls / 1 pot)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Astragalus | ~19 g | Soak, rinse |
| Cinnamon twig | ~8 g | Soak, rinse |
| Spatholobus vine | ~19 g | Soak, rinse |
| Fresh ginger | 3 slices | |
| Red dates | 5 | Pitted |
| Chicken breast | 1 piece | Blanch |
Method
- Soak and rinse the astragalus, cinnamon twig and spatholobus; pit the red dates; blanch the chicken breast.
- Put everything in 8 bowls of water and simmer about 1.5 hours down to 4 bowls. Serve.
Bro Niu’s tips
This soup is best suited to people with a cold constitution. Those with yin-deficiency heat, pregnant women, and anyone with a fever or active cold should not drink it.
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (J): I’m 46; my cycle was always punctual but stopped about two months ago. The gynaecologist found everything normal. What can I do? Bro Niu: Try a soup of dang shen 5 qian, ji xue teng 5 qian and 6 red dates with chicken breast, simmered 1 hour (use 5–6 bowls of water down to 2, split over the day). Take 3 doses, rest 2 days, then repeat, and see if it helps.
- Q (May): About a week before my period I wake at night with a stomach-ache that eases after a bowel movement, and my tongue is very pale/white; no cramps later. Any food-therapy support? Bro Niu: Try stir-fried bian dou, qian shi and huai shan 5 qian each with 4 figs in 5 bowls of water down to 2 — this supports the spleen and helps ease pre-period discomfort.
- Q (3M): For an iron-deficiency-anaemic young woman, what soup can be made during the period? Bro Niu: Cook one section of lotus root, black beans 1 tael, dried octopus or cuttlefish 2 taels, red-skin peanuts 1 tael and 5 red dates with pork shank for 2 hours; drink the soup and eat some of the ingredients, twice a week — the whole family can enjoy it, and it’s good for iron-deficiency anaemia.
Published April 15, 2024 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.
