Astragalus Codonopsis Angelica Black-Chicken Soup

Why people make this soup

Many women love cold and iced foods and drinks, but over time that can wear down the warmth of the spleen and stomach and let cold settle inside — in traditional thinking, this can disturb the womb’s warmth, affect the period, and after marriage make conceiving harder. If you often eat cold things, get a cold, achy lower belly during your period with dark clotty blood, and have perpetually cold hands and feet, it may point to a “cold womb.” Nourilo offers this warming soup, traditionally used to move qi, nourish the blood and warm the womb, for women with a cold-deficient constitution, pale complexion and cold limbs.

Method

1. Clean and rinse the black chicken, cut into large pieces and blanch.
2. Soak and rinse the remaining ingredients; pit the red dates.
3. Place everything into a pot with 2.4 L of water.
4. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 1.5 hours until reduced to 1.2–1.5 L. Serve.

Nourilo’s Tips

This is a nourishing soup. Beyond women with a cold womb, it suits anyone — male or female — who is weak in qi and blood with insufficient warmth. But do not take it while you still have an unresolved cold or fever.