Golden Needle (Daylily) and Black Wood Ear Chicken Soup

Why people make this soup

Two humble ingredients — golden needle (dried daylily buds) and black wood ear mushroom — combine in this classic Cantonese chicken soup to create something remarkably nourishing. Golden needle has an old nickname in Chinese herbal tradition: “forget-sorrow grass” (wang you cao), and it has long been associated with calming emotional restlessness and supporting sleep. Black wood ear mushroom carries its own reputation as a “blood purifier,” valued for supporting blood quality and skin health. Together with a slow-cooked free-range chicken, this soup becomes a deeply restorative pot that Bro Niu particularly recommends for new mothers and anyone feeling run-down, pale, or cold in the extremities.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Especially well suited to postnatal recovery; also suitable for women with anaemia, cold hands and feet, insomnia, or a pale, dull complexion
• General family soup appropriate for all ages
• People with a known tendency toward bleeding — including those who have experienced haemorrhagic stroke or brain bleeding — should limit their intake of black wood ear mushroom; please consult your doctor
• Adding black glutinous rice wine (hei nuo mi jiu) to the finished soup is a traditional postnatal booster; omit this if you do not consume alcohol

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Golden needle flowers (jin zhen hua, dried daylily buds): Traditionally associated with nourishing blood, clearing heat from the blood, calming the spirit, and supporting restful sleep. Also believed to ease dampness and benefit vision.
• Black wood ear mushroom (hei mu er, Auricularia auricula-judae): Widely used in Chinese food therapy to support blood quality and circulation, and traditionally associated with preventing iron-deficiency anaemia. Also valued for keeping the blood fluid and for skin health.
• Red dates (hong zao): A classic Cantonese tonic for Qi and blood, often used to warm and strengthen after illness or childbirth.
• Free-range chicken (tu ji): Provides a richer, more flavourful broth than factory-farmed birds, and is the traditional protein base for postnatal soups.

Ingredients (4–5 bowls)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Dried golden needle flowers (jin zhen)	2 qian (~6 g)	Soak until soft; tie each one in a knot before cooking
Dried black wood ear mushroom (hei mu er)	2 large pieces	Soak until fully expanded; remove tough base stalk
Red dates (hong zao), pitted	6 pieces
Fresh ginger	3 slices
Free-range chicken (tu ji)	1 whole	Cut into pieces; blanch in boiling water first to remove impurities
Lean pork	6 liang (~225 g)	Slice and blanch before adding
Water	10 bowls (~2.5 L)

Method

1. Soak the golden needle flowers in cold water until softened. Tie each flower bud into a knot — this prevents the flowers from breaking apart in the soup and makes them easier to eat.
2. Soak the black wood ear mushroom until fully expanded. Remove and discard the tough base stalk; the rest can go in whole or torn into pieces.
3. Pit the red dates.
4. Slice the lean pork and blanch it briefly in boiling water, then drain. Cut the chicken into pieces and blanch as well; drain.
5. Place all ingredients into a pot with 10 bowls of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for about 1.5 hours until the broth is flavoursome and reduced to 4–5 bowls.
6. Serve hot, drinking the broth and eating the chicken, pork, golden needle flowers, and wood ear mushroom.

Bro Niu’s tips

This is considered a fine postnatal tonic soup — you can enhance its restorative quality by adding a splash of black glutinous rice wine (hei nuo mi jiu) just before serving. However, if you are breastfeeding, it is best to add the wine after you have finished a nursing session rather than immediately before, to minimise any transfer to your baby. If you prefer, simply omit the wine; the soup is already deeply nourishing on its own.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (ocean0970): Can I replace the free-range chicken with black-boned chicken (wu ji)? Bro Niu: Yes, black-boned chicken works well as a substitute. Organic, imported frozen black-boned chicken is the best option if you can find it.

• Q (heart heart): I had a surgical termination at 12 weeks and am barely bleeding afterward. Can you suggest something to help with recovery? Bro Niu: You can use 3 pieces of black wood ear mushroom, 6 pitted red dates, and appropriate rock sugar, cooked in 5 bowls of water down to 2 bowls. Drink the broth and eat the wood ear. Black wood ear is known in Chinese tradition as the “blood purifier” — it helps clear the lochia and supports blood replenishment. It is a food ingredient rather than a herbal medicine, so it is safe to take for 3–4 consecutive servings.

• Q (Yanyan): After an induction at 15 weeks, I am barely bleeding on day 2. Is there a food remedy to help clear retained tissue? Bro Niu: For this situation, try using 1 liang (38 g) each of yi mu cao (motherwort), black beans, and black wood ear mushroom, plus 5 qian (19 g) of sheng di (raw rehmannia) and appropriate brown sugar, cooked in 5 bowls of water down to 2 bowls. Take 3 consecutive servings. This combination is traditionally used to support the clearing of lochia and residual material. I would also recommend seeing a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner promptly.

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Published May 6, 2015 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.