Soups
Astragalus Codonopsis Angelica Black-Chicken Soup
Traditionally used to move qi, nourish the blood and warm a cold womb
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.” Bro Niu 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.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Women with a cold womb, pale face and cold hands and feet; also suited to anyone, male or female, who is run-down in qi and blood with insufficient warmth.
- Do not drink while you still have an unresolved cold or fever.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Astragalus (bei qi): Traditionally used to tonify qi and support the body’s defences.
- Codonopsis (dang shen): Traditionally used to boost qi and nourish the blood.
- Chinese angelica (dang gui): Traditionally used to nourish and move the blood.
- Black chicken (wu ji): Traditionally regarded as a nourishing, warming meat well suited to building qi and blood.
- Ginger & red dates: Traditionally used to warm the centre and harmonise the soup.
Ingredients (4–5 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Astragalus (bei qi) | 5 qian (~19 g) | Soaked and rinsed |
| Codonopsis (dang shen) | 5 qian (~19 g) | Soaked and rinsed |
| Chinese angelica (dang gui) | 3 qian (~11 g) | Soaked and rinsed |
| Red dates (hong zao) | 6 | Pitted |
| Fresh ginger (sheng jiang) | 3 slices | |
| Black chicken (wu ji) | 1 whole | Cleaned, cut into large pieces, blanched |
Method
- Clean and rinse the black chicken, cut into large pieces and blanch.
- Soak and rinse the remaining ingredients; pit the red dates.
- Place everything into a pot with 8 bowls of water.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 1.5 hours until reduced to 4–5 bowls. Serve.
Bro Niu’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.
Community questions answered (selected)
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Q (Coriander): Bro Niu, hello! How many times a week would you suggest drinking this black-chicken soup? My first attempt at assisted conception just failed; I’ll transfer again in August and want to prepare my womb. I’d also love to eat fish maw to build up, but my spleen is weak and my stools are chronically loose, plus I have chronic urticaria — can someone like me eat fish maw? If not, how should I build up? Bro Niu: With poor spleen-and-stomach absorption, fish maw can sit heavily. First simmer some poria (yun ling), white atractylodes (bai zhu) and hyacinth-bean skin (bian dou yi) to dispel dampness; then use soaked fish maw (about a palm’s size — not too much at once) double-steamed with Chinese yam (huai shan), goji (qi zi) and chicken or lean pork, twice a week.
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Q (reader): Bro Niu, hello. My daughter is 39 weeks pregnant with gestational diabetes, so the doctor advises inducing at 40 weeks. (1) What foods or soups can be prepared before induction? (2) What dietary cautions after delivery? Bro Niu: With gestational diabetes, avoid rich, fatty foods and especially sweets. You can use Chinese yam (huai shan), goji (qi zi) and dendrobium (shi hu) in lean pork soup. Before induction, avoid blood-moving herbs such as Korean ginseng, codonopsis and longan. Yam, lotus seed, lily bulb and goji are fine, cooked with chicken breast or lean pork. After delivery, once she can drink, simmer some tangerine-peel-and-radish water; later use astragalus (bei qi) 5 qian with dried scallop and tangerine peel in a congee to speed recovery. Keep food and drink warm, and avoid raw-cold foods like sashimi and salads.
Published June 17, 2025 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.
