Soups
Astragalus Codonopsis Calming Soup
Traditionally used to nourish qi and blood and support restful sleep
Why people make this soup
Big-city life is stressful, and more and more people — especially those over 60 — struggle with sleep as their bodies change. Bro Niu often sees older folks who find it hard to drop off, can’t sleep deeply, or wake early and can’t settle again. In traditional thinking this often goes with a “heart and spleen” that are run down and qi and blood that have grown thin. This warm soup is meant to nourish qi and blood while strengthening the spleen and calming the heart — a comforting bowl to support a good night’s sleep.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Older adults and anyone feeling short of breath, low on energy, with a weak appetite, palpitations, or trouble sleeping.
- If you take blood-pressure medication: codonopsis is traditionally regarded as mildly raising blood pressure, so leave it out and use a larger amount of astragalus (5 qian) instead.
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.
- Lotus seed (lian zi) & lily bulb (bai he): Traditionally associated with calming the heart and easing the mind.
- Dendrobium (shi hu) & Chinese yam (huai shan): Traditionally used to nourish yin and support the spleen and stomach.
- Euryale seed (qian shi) & red dates (hong zao): Traditionally used to strengthen the spleen and gently nourish the blood.
Ingredients (4 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Astragalus (bei qi) | 3 qian (~11 g) | Use 5 qian and omit codonopsis if on BP medication |
| Codonopsis (dang shen) | 3 qian (~11 g) | Omit if on BP medication |
| Chinese yam (huai shan) | 1 liang (~38 g) | |
| Fresh dendrobium (xian shi hu) | 1 liang (~38 g) | Or 3 qian dried |
| Lotus seed (lian zi) | 1 liang (~38 g) | |
| Lily bulb (bai he) | 1 liang (~38 g) | |
| Euryale seed (qian shi) | 1 liang (~38 g) | |
| Red dates (hong zao) | 6 | Pitted |
Method
- Soak and rinse all the ingredients. Rinse the fresh dendrobium and cut into segments; 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 about 4 bowls. Serve.
Bro Niu’s tips
This is a nourishing soup, especially suited to those who feel short of breath and tired, have a weak spleen and stomach, or struggle with sleep and palpitations. If you can’t find fresh dendrobium, use 3 qian of the dried form instead.
Community questions answered (selected)
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Q (JK): Good morning Bro Niu! My family member often can’t sleep and also has diabetes — can they drink this soup? Can the yam, lotus seed and lily bulb be used fresh, and can I just double everything to make more, and add some meat for nutrition? Bro Niu: It’s suitable even with diabetes. The amounts in the photo serve about 4–5 people; doubling serves about 10. You can add pork shin, lean pork or chicken breast — non-fatty meats — to cook together.
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Q (jj): Bro Niu, hello! For an over-65 person with irregular heartbeat who takes medication for blood pressure and cholesterol, often can’t sleep and sometimes has headaches — what soup can they make? Bro Niu: You can use sour jujube seed (suan zao ren) 3 qian, lily bulb 1 liang, and 10 longan (yuan rou); boil for 20 minutes and drink, taken about 2 hours before bed, one batch a day for 3–4 days, and see if it helps.
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Q (Wing): Hello Bro Niu, I take medication for high blood pressure — can I drink the soup above? Bro Niu: Codonopsis tends to raise blood pressure, while astragalus is two-directional — above 5 qian it tends to lower blood pressure, around 3 qian it tends to raise it. So leave out the codonopsis and use 5 qian of astragalus.
Published June 3, 2025 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.
