Astragalus, Ginger, Red Date, Tangerine Peel and Beef Tripe Soup

Why people make this soup

Astragalus root (bei qi or huang qi) is one of the most important qi-tonifying herbs in Chinese medicine — warm in nature, it is traditionally used for people who feel easily exhausted, sweat spontaneously, or have what Chinese medicine calls “qi deficiency.” People with qi deficiency often find that their organs tend toward prolapse: the stomach (gastroptosis), the uterus (uterine prolapse), or other internal organs may drop from their normal position when the qi that holds them up is weakened.

Gastroptosis can range from mild — producing nothing more than slight bloating after eating — to moderate or severe, where constipation, nausea, vomiting and upper abdominal pain after meals become significant problems. Beef tripe (the stomach lining of cattle) is traditionally prescribed in Chinese food therapy using the principle that “eating an organ nourishes that organ” — pairing it with astragalus to tonify qi creates a combination that targets both the energy level and the specific organ involved.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suitable for people with qi deficiency who experience easy fatigue, breathlessness after mild exertion, spontaneous sweating, or symptoms of gastroptosis
• Also beneficial for people with gastritis
• Astragalus is warming — people with active cold or fever, or with strong heat signs (red tongue, yellow coating, thirst), should wait until they recover before using this soup
• Note on tripe: avoid the heavily bleached, snow-white frozen tripe slices (niu bai ye), which are chemically treated — choose plain frozen tripe or fresh if available

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Astragalus root (bei qi): Tonifies qi and wei (defensive) energy; traditionally used to treat qi deficiency with fatigue, spontaneous sweating, and prolapsed organs; warms and lifts
• Beef tripe (niu du): The stomach lining; in traditional food therapy, consuming the same organ type is associated with nourishing and strengthening that organ; provides protein and collagen
• Fresh ginger (sheng jiang): Warms the stomach, promotes digestion, prevents nausea
• Red dates (hong zao): Gently tonify qi and blood; harmonise the formula; add natural sweetness
• Tangerine peel (chen pi): Regulates qi, aids digestion, prevents the tonic ingredients from causing stagnation

Ingredients (4 bowls)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Astragalus root (bei qi)	38 g	Soak and rinse
Fresh ginger	4 slices
Tangerine peel (chen pi)	2 pieces	Soak and rinse
Red dates (pitted)	5 pieces	Remove stones
Frozen beef tripe	300 g	Cut into pieces; blanch to remove impurities

Method

1. Soak and rinse the astragalus root and tangerine peel; remove stones from the dates.
2. Cut the beef tripe into pieces and blanch in boiling water for 2–3 minutes; rinse well.
3. Place all ingredients into a pot with 8 bowls (approximately 1.9 litres) of water.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 1.5 hours until reduced to 4 bowls.
5. Serve; eat the tripe and dates as well as drinking the soup.

Bro Niu’s tips

Cattle have four stomach chambers, and fresh tripe — if you can source it — is more effective than frozen. To clean fresh beef tripe: soak it in water for one hour, drop it into a large pot of boiling water briefly to blanch, remove and scrub off the dark inner lining, rinse thoroughly, then cut into pieces for cooking. Avoid the snow-white heavily processed frozen tripe slices (niu bai ye) — these undergo extensive chemical bleaching and are not good for frequent consumption.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (meimei): How do you clean fresh beef tripe? And I have chronic insomnia — my eyes are tired but my mind stays awake. What can help? Bro Niu: For fresh beef tripe: soak in water for 1 hour, drop into a large pot of rolling boiling water briefly, remove and scrub off the dark thin membrane, rinse clean, then cut and cook. For your insomnia, try simmering Chinese yam (5 qian), goji berries (3 qian), longan flesh (5 qian), schisandra berry (wu wei zi, 3 qian) and liquorice (zhi gan cao, 3 qian) in 5 bowls of water to yield 2 bowls — drink this as a course of 3–4 doses. It is traditionally used to nourish the heart, replenish qi and support restful sleep.

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Published June 9, 2022 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.