Astragalus Codonopsis Soup

Why people make this soup

Quite a few people — women especially — notice a “hot above, cold below” pattern: an irritable, flushed feeling up top with a dry mouth, mouth ulcers and a parched throat, while down below they get cold hands and feet, a cold belly and a sense of internal chill. Nourilo notes that for this kind of constitution it helps to favour spleen-supporting foods. Today’s astragalus-codonopsis soup is built mainly on gentle, spleen-strengthening, qi-moving herbs — well suited to this pattern in cold weather.

Method

1. Soak and rinse all the ingredients.
2. Add to 2.1 L of water and simmer for about 1 hour until reduced to 0.9–1.2 L. Serve.

Nourilo’s Tips

This soup is mild in flavour and gentle in nature, so it suits young and old. If you’re serving several people and want it more savoury, add some lean pork or chicken breast to cook with it. (An old TCM tip for this constitution: simmer 11–15 g of mugwort leaf in water and soak the feet in it while warm each day.)