Soups
Burdock, Chinese Yam, Snow Fungus & Quail Soup
traditionally associated with strengthening immunity, supporting bowel regularity, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, and reducing cancer risk factors
In short: Burdock, Chinese Yam, Snow Fungus & Quail Soup is a soup that traditionally associated with strengthening immunity, supporting bowel regularity, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, and reducing cancer risk factors. It is most often made for cleansing & regularity, heart & circulation, immune support. Total time about 110 min. Key ingredients: burdock root, snow fungus, goji berries, red dates.
Why people make this soup
Burdock root has a faint herbal aroma reminiscent of ginseng, earning it the popular nickname ‘vegetable ginseng.’ Long used in Japanese and Chinese cooking, it has attracted modern research interest for its high folic acid content, its rich inulin fibre (which feeds beneficial gut bacteria), and its traditional association with supporting healthy blood sugar, blood fats, and blood pressure. When selecting burdock, the thinner variety with a darker skin tends to be more fragrant and flavourful than the thicker, pale version. Nourilo leaves the skin on when making this soup — the skin contains significant amounts of iron and fibre, so a vigorous scrub rather than peeling is the right approach.
Method
- Scrub the burdock root skin thoroughly with a rough cloth or brush under running water — do not peel. Cut into large segments.
- Soak the snow fungus in cold water for 20–30 minutes until fully expanded. Trim away the tough yellow/brown base. Tear into smaller pieces.
- Defrost the quail, clean thoroughly, and blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes; drain and rinse.
- Rinse all remaining ingredients; soak the tangerine peel briefly.
- Place all ingredients in a pot with 2.4 L of water.
- Bring to a boil, reduce to a medium simmer, and cook for 90 minutes until reduced to about 1.2 L.
- Serve — drink the soup and eat the solid ingredients together.
Nourilo’s Tips
The skin of fresh burdock root is where much of its iron and fibre concentrate, so resist the urge to peel it — just scrub it well. If you are making a cold salad or stir-fry with burdock and must peel it, immediately submerge the peeled pieces in lightly salted water to prevent browning. When selecting burdock, look for the thinner, darker-skinned variety — it is more aromatic and has a more noticeable ginseng-like quality. Fresh burdock is available at Chinese or Asian grocers and many supermarkets. Burdock root tea (simply slicing dried burdock and steeping it) is excellent for protecting the voice — Nourilo recommends it specifically for teachers, singers, and anyone who uses their voice professionally.
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.
- Burdock root
Compared with placebo, root powder was associated with higher superoxide dismutase and catalase, lower malondialdehyde and C-reactive protein, and smaller ovarian volumes. Hirsutism and menstrual frequency results are not reported in the abstract.Limitation: Small single-centre trial of 60 women, recruited by convenience sampling. The 460 mg/day dose is much smaller than typical food intake.PubMed 41757842 · 2 more burdock root studies - Snow fungus
The Tremella fuciformis groups showed greater improvements than placebo in subjective memory complaint scores, short-term memory and executive function tests. Adverse event frequency was similar across high-dose, low-dose and placebo groups.Limitation: Small sample with only 15 people in the placebo group and a short 8-week duration; the brain imaging findings were exploratory.PubMed 29319408 - Goji berries
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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