Astragalus, Goji Berry and Red Date Silkie Chicken Soup

Why people make this soup

During a period when immunity is on everyone’s mind, Nourilo kept being asked the same question: what should I eat to strengthen my body’s defences? This soup is his reliable answer. Astragalus (bei qi, also written huang qi) is one of the best-studied adaptogenic herbs in Chinese medicine — it is associated with stimulating the production of immune cells, supporting the body’s natural defences against viral and bacterial challenge, and helping the body cope with stress and fatigue. Paired with goji berries and red dates (classic qi and blood tonics), and slow-cooked with silkie chicken (a breed prized for its particularly dark, nutrient-dense meat), you get a soup that is both genuinely nourishing and pleasant to eat. Nourilo notes that most tonic herbs help support immune function to some degree — but this combination is especially practical because it is not overly warming or drying, making it broadly suitable without needing a precise constitution diagnosis first.