Astragalus, Black Bean and Southern Jujube Soup (Bei Qi Hei Dou Nan Zao Tang)

Why people make this soup

Sweating in the heat is completely normal. But some people sweat heavily throughout the day with little exertion, or wake at night with their clothes damp — and these experiences are genuinely draining. In Chinese medicine, the first pattern (sweating during the day, often accompanied by fatigue, breathlessness, and easy colds) is called zi han or “spontaneous sweating,” and is linked to qi deficiency. The second (sweating during sleep, stopping on waking) is called dao han or “night sweating,” and is linked to yin deficiency. Both are treated as signs that the body’s surface is not holding securely. This three-ingredient soup has been Nourilo’s standard recommendation for both: astragalus to strengthen the wei qi and close the surface, black beans to consolidate essence, and southern jujubes to nourish and settle.

Method

1. Soak the black beans in cold water for 1–2 hours, then discard the soaking water. (The soaking water is discarded because it contains germination enzymes that are not beneficial — most of the beneficial anthocyanins remain in the bean skins.)
2. Rinse the astragalus root and southern jujubes.
3. Place all ingredients in a pot with 1.8 L of water.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for about 1 hour until approximately 600 ml of liquid remain.
5. Divide into 2 servings. Drink one portion, and keep the second for later in the day or the following morning.
6. Repeat for 3–5 consecutive days.

Nourilo’s Tips

For best results, drink this soup consistently for 3–5 days in a row. Adding floating wheat (fu xiao mai, 38 g) to the formula is especially helpful for daytime spontaneous sweating. If the soup feels slightly heating after a few days, reduce the astragalus and black bean quantities by half and take a short break. For a family of four, scale up proportionally: approximately 94 g of astragalus, 15 southern jujubes, and 112 g of black beans.