Astragalus, Tiger Milk Mushroom & Quail Soup

Why people make this soup

When children start school, they suddenly enter a world of shared classrooms, shared germs, and shared illnesses. Children with strong constitutions tend to bounce back quickly; those who are more fragile seem to catch one thing after another — a cold becomes a cough, and the cycle repeats, leaving parents exhausted and worried. Nourilo developed this soup specifically for children with what Chinese medicine describes as “lung qi deficiency” — a tendency toward respiratory weakness that makes them vulnerable to repeated upper respiratory infections. The key ingredient is tiger milk mushroom (hu ru ling zhi), a prized medicinal fungus native to Southeast Asia that has been used in traditional medicine for generations, particularly for lung-related concerns. Combined with the well-known immune-supporting herb astragalus (bei qi), red dates, and nourishing quail, this is a gentle, mild-tasting soup that most children will accept without complaint.

Method

1. Defrost the quail completely. Clean, then blanch briefly in boiling water and rinse.
2. Rinse the astragalus, tiger milk mushroom, and red dates.
3. Place all ingredients in a pot. Add 1.8 L of water.
4. Bring to a boil, skim any foam, then reduce to a medium-low simmer.
5. Cook for about 1.5 hours until reduced to approximately 900 ml of flavorful broth.
6. Serve the soup and eat the quail and other solid ingredients.

Nourilo’s Tips

• The French quail shown in the photo is available at large frozen food stores and supermarkets. If quail is unavailable, use lean pork instead — the effect is similar.
• This soup is mild in flavor with no strong herbal taste, which makes it much easier to get children to drink compared to many medicinal soups.
• Any constitutional type can drink this — it is not heating, cooling, or strongly tonic. It is one of the most versatile and safe soups in Nourilo’s repertoire.
• For children with G6PD deficiency (favism): tiger milk mushroom is safe; please refer to the G6PD article for the full list of prohibited herbs.
• If a child has a stuffy nose or mild cold at the same time, do not serve this soup until those symptoms resolve. First try a simple soup of carrot slices and red dates to help with prolonged cough.