Soups
Astragalus and Lion's Mane Mushroom Soup
Traditionally used to support recovery and rebuild strength after illness
Why people make this soup
When the weather swings between sun and rain, lots of children catch colds, and afterwards they can feel weak — tired, sweating easily, poor appetite, pale, restless at night — which worries parents. Lion’s mane mushroom is traditionally regarded as a gentle, fortifying food that supports digestion and helps the body recover after illness. Paired with astragalus, longan and a little ginger, this soup is traditionally enjoyed to help children (and run-down adults) rebuild strength and weather the next cold better.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Children and adults rebuilding strength after a cold or illness — tired, pale, sweating easily, poor appetite.
- The whole family can enjoy it; adults who catch colds often may drink it regularly.
- Do not drink while still feverish. Those managing gout should go easy on mushrooms (see tips). If you are pregnant, omit the longan and use red or black dates instead.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Astragalus (bei qi): Traditionally used to support qi and the body’s surface defences, and to help ease excessive sweating.
- Lion’s mane mushroom (hou tou gu): Valued as a fortifying food that supports digestion and recovery.
- Longan flesh (long yan rou): Traditionally used to nourish the blood and steady the mind (omit in pregnancy).
- Ginger & tangerine peel (sheng jiang, chen pi): Warm the stomach and keep the soup gentle and easy to take.
Ingredients (4 bowls / 1 pot)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Astragalus | 4 slices | Rinse |
| Lion’s mane mushroom | 2–3 | Soak in water first |
| Fresh ginger | 2 slices | |
| Dried tangerine peel | 1 piece | Rinse |
| Dried longan flesh | 8 pieces | Swap for dates if pregnant |
| Lean pork | ~225 g | Blanch |
Method
- Soak the lion’s mane mushroom in water; blanch it together with the pork.
- Rinse the remaining ingredients.
- Put everything in the pot with 8 bowls of water and simmer about 2 hours down to 4 bowls. Serve.
Bro Niu’s tips
The soup has little herbal taste — clear and sweet, suitable for the whole family. Adults who catch colds often may also drink it regularly.
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (reader): If I’m making this for several people, can I add a melon or vegetable? And how do I tell whether a child runs “cold” or “hot”? Bro Niu: You can add chayote or hairy gourd. A child with a pale face and cold limbs tends to run “cold”; a rosy face with a love of cold drinks and fruit like watermelon tends to run “hot.”
- Q (Veron): Can these soups be taken while on antibiotics — (1) yam, lotus seed, fu ling, lily bulb 5 qian each in lean-pork soup, and (2) this astragalus–lion’s-mane soup? Bro Niu: Both can be taken during a course of antibiotics — but not if there is a fever.
- Q (Flora): Is this soup unsuitable for gout because of the lion’s mane mushroom? And what soup helps children recover after type-A flu? Bro Niu: Those with gout should eat fewer mushrooms (high purine) — swap in wu zhi mao tao 1 tael instead. After flu, a soup of chayote and tofu with grass-carp tail, or yam, lotus seed, fu ling, qian shi, dates and tangerine peel with lean pork, supports the spleen and digestion.
Published June 21, 2010 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.
