Codonopsis, Lotus Seed, and Chicken Soup

Why people make this soup

There are times in life when the body simply runs low — after a prolonged illness, after carrying too much worry, or after pushing too hard for too long without rest. Traditional Chinese food therapy describes this as the heart-spleen being overtaxed: blood and qi become insufficient, leading to fatigue, pallor, reduced appetite, and a general sense of depletion. This Codonopsis and Lotus Seed Chicken Soup is one of Nourilo’s foundational tonic soups for that situation. It nourishes qi and blood simultaneously, is gentle enough to be eaten every day, and is not heating or excessive — truly a meal and a remedy in one bowl. The broth is deeply flavourful thanks to the dried scallops, and the lotus seeds and chicken add satisfying texture.

Method

1. Soak the dried scallops in cold water for 20 minutes to hydrate them; set aside (keep the soaking water to add to the pot for extra flavour — strain it first).
2. Rinse the codonopsis root and slice thinly. Rinse the lotus seeds. Pit the red dates.
3. Chop the chicken into pieces. Blanch in boiling water for 2–3 minutes to remove impurities; rinse thoroughly and set aside.
4. Place all ingredients — chicken, scallops (with their soaking water), codonopsis, lotus seeds, dates, and ginger — into a large pot with 2.4 L of water.
5. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 2 hours until the broth reduces to approximately 1.2 L and is rich and savoury.
6. Season lightly with salt to taste. Serve warm; eat some of the chicken and lotus seeds along with the soup.

Nourilo’s Tips

This is a foundational tonic soup — Nourilo calls it a “household wellness staple.” It is flavourful from the dried scallops and mild enough to eat two or three times a week as a regular restorative meal. For young children with spleen deficiency and small appetite, a variation using codonopsis, red dates, and a small amount of toasted rice (chao mi) in 1.5 L of water cooked to 600 ml is even simpler and very accessible. Cook the rice in a dry pan until lightly golden before adding to the pot.

For families living in humid conditions, add 19 g of poria (fu ling) to the base recipe — it enhances the dampness-clearing effect without changing the flavour much.

There is no need to remove the codonopsis head from the body before cooking — this is a folk belief without practical foundation in everyday food therapy. Simply slice the root thinly for better flavour extraction.