Chinese Celery and Red Date Soup

Why people make this soup

We usually cook with crisp Western celery, but Bro Niu points out that for food-therapy purposes Chinese celery (the fragrant, slimmer kind) is preferred. There is a folk observation worth noting: when blood pressure spikes from a swing in mood, fresh Chinese-celery juice is traditionally said to bring it down quickly. Simmered with red dates into this simple soup, it is traditionally associated with clearing heart-fire and calming the “liver-yang rising” pattern — the dizziness, head-tightness, irritability, ringing ears, restless dreams, bitter dry mouth and constipation that can come with high blood pressure.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• People with high blood pressure who get dizziness, head tightness, irritability or restless sleep
• People with diabetes should be cautious — red dates are high in sugar; Bro Niu advises one reader with diabetes not to drink it
• It can be taken regularly; for a family-style version, add a grass-carp tail and make it a soup the whole family can share

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Chinese celery (xiang qin): traditionally used to clear heart-fire and settle “liver wind”; fresh celery juice is a long-standing folk approach for sudden blood-pressure rises.
• Red dates (hong zao): added to temper celery’s cool nature and to nourish blood — but they raise the sugar content, hence the diabetes caution.

Ingredients (2 bowls, one day’s portion)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Chinese celery	~150 g (4 taels)	Washed, chopped; leaves can go in too
Red dates	8	Pitted, chopped

Method

1. Wash the celery; pit and chop the red dates; chop both finely.
2. Simmer with 4 bowls of water down to 2 bowls.
3. Drink over the course of one day.
4. Take for 5 days in a row.

Bro Niu’s tips

Celery is cooling, so the red dates are added to soften that cool nature. People with high blood pressure can drink it regularly. As a family dish, add a grass-carp tail and make it a soup the whole family can enjoy. Note: this is at most a 3-day batch to make ahead — don’t store it for the full 5 days, as it may spoil. Choose organic Chinese celery where possible for a stronger, more fragrant result.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (eva lee): How long should I simmer it, and can my husband drink it regularly — he has diabetes and works night shifts? Bro Niu: With diabetes this soup isn’t suitable, because red dates are high in sugar. For frequent night shifts, a better choice is glehnia (sha shen), Solomon’s seal (yu zhu) and ophiopogon (mai dong) 5 qian each, snow fungus 3 qian and goji berries 3 qian simmered into a lean-pork soup — 8 bowls of water down to 4, whole family, twice a week.

• Q (anonymous): My blood pressure runs around 164 and I take pressure pills — should the celery leaves go in too, and can I drink this every day? Bro Niu: The celery leaves can go in the pot. You can drink it daily.

• Q (Zenith): It says drink for 5 days — can I cook all 5 days’ worth at once and refrigerate, reheating a bowl each day? Bro Niu: Cook at most a 3-day batch — storing for 5 days is too long and it may spoil.

---

Published November 1, 2011 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.