Soups

South Jujube, Walnut, and Goji Berry Soup

Traditionally used to nourish the brain, support vision, and calm an overworked mind

In short: South Jujube, Walnut, and Goji Berry Soup is a soup that Traditionally used to nourish the brain, support vision, and calm an overworked mind. It is most often made for sleep & calm, eye wellness, everyday balance. Total time about 100 min. Key ingredients: walnuts, goji berries, rock sugar.

Prep
10 min
Cook
90 min
Total
100 min
Makes
0.9–1.2 L
South Jujube, Walnut, and Goji Berry Soup

Why people make this soup

After long hours of screen work, study, or mental strain, many in Chinese culinary tradition turn to a simple pot of walnut-and-jujube soup as a way to unwind and nourish. Nourilo finds this soup wonderfully versatile: it is mild enough for daily use, requires almost no prep, and the combination of walnuts, south jujube, and goji berries produces a naturally sweet, mellow broth that the whole household tends to enjoy. Traditionally, walnut is said to support brain and kidney function, south jujube to calm the spirit and build blood, and goji to brighten and protect the eyes.

What studies say about the key ingredients

Traditional use is not the same as clinical proof. Here is the strongest human research we found for each ingredient, limitations included.

  • Red dates · Meta-analysis, 483 participants · 2025
    Jujube was associated with significantly lower BMI and triglycerides, and lower fasting blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. LDL and total cholesterol fell only in some subgroups. HDL, AST and ALT did not change significantly.Limitation: The authors state the overall quality of the evidence is limited, and results varied significantly by dose, treatment duration and disease type.PubMed 40399274 · 3 more red dates studies
  • Walnuts · Randomized controlled trial, 305 participants · 2019
    Office systolic BP changed by -4.61 mm Hg with walnuts versus -0.59 mm Hg in controls (P=0.051); 24-hour ambulatory systolic BP difference was not significant (P=0.111). No diastolic BP changes were observed.Limitation: Only 236 of 305 participants (75%) completed the study, and the main between-group differences did not reach conventional significance.PubMed 30879358 · 2 more walnuts studies
  • Goji berries · Meta-analysis, 161 participants · 2012
    Compared with placebo (n=80), the goji juice group (n=81) reported greater improvements in several self-rated symptoms, including stress, mental acuity, sleep quality and overall well-being, under a random effects model.Limitation: Outcomes were self-reported symptom questionnaires, and several symptoms showed significant heterogeneity across the four pooled trials of a single branded juice.PubMed 22897500 · 3 more goji berries studies

From the Nourilo Research Library. Findings come from specific doses, extracts and populations and may not apply to a home-cooked recipe.

Safety first — read before you cook

This is a traditional food, not a treatment. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before making it a regular part of your diet if you:

  • are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are cooking for a young child;
  • take regular medicines — especially blood thinners, blood-pressure, diabetes or immune-suppressing drugs;
  • have a kidney, liver or heart condition, or a known food allergy.

Ingredient notes for this recipe

  • Goji berries: A few cases of raised INR (a bleeding-risk marker) have been reported in people taking warfarin after drinking concentrated goji tea or wine. If you take a blood thinner, check with your doctor. Source: Memorial Sloan Kettering — Lycium

Stop eating it and seek advice if you notice an allergic reaction or feel unwell. Safety notes reviewed 8 October 2026 · How we write safety notes

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