Soups
Astragalus, Angelica, Ginger and Lamb Soup
Traditionally used to warm yang, nourish blood, and improve circulation
Why people make this soup
When cold weather arrives and your hands and feet stay icy no matter how many layers you wear, it may be a sign that your body’s warming energy — what Chinese medicine calls yang qi — or blood supply is insufficient to reach the extremities. Lamb is one of the most warming meats in the Chinese culinary tradition: it benefits qi and yang, supports blood production, and helps the body generate its own heat. Paired with the blood-moving angelica root, the qi-boosting astragalus, and the warming ginger, this is a soup that many women with menstrual irregularity, pale complexion, or cold-type period pain turn to through the winter months. The smell of good lamb broth is deeply comforting on a cold evening.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Ideal for people who feel persistently cold, especially in the hands and feet; those with a pale complexion, fatigue, or dizziness
- Well-suited to women with late periods, scanty menstrual flow, cold-type period pain, or menstrual headaches
- Drink after the menstrual period ends, not during
- Not suitable during fever, dental pain, mouth sores, or for anyone with yin deficiency and excessive internal heat
- Not suitable during active infection or illness
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Astragalus root (bei qi): Tonifies qi, strengthens the spleen, and supports the body’s protective energy; said to enhance circulation and the body’s ability to warm itself
- Chinese angelica root (dang gui): One of the most widely used herbs in women’s health formulas; traditionally used to invigorate blood, regulate menstruation, and ease cold-type menstrual pain
- Goji berries (gou qi zi): Nourishes liver and kidney yin; contributes blood-enriching qualities to balance the warmth of the other herbs
- Fresh ginger (sheng jiang): Warms the middle, disperses cold, and helps the body circulate warmth to the periphery
- Red dates (hong zao): Nourishes blood and harmonises the formula
- Lamb (yang rou): Strongly warming; benefits qi and yang, promotes blood production, and is associated with enhancing the body’s cold tolerance
Ingredients (4–5 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Astragalus root (bei qi) | 19 g (5 qian) | Rinse |
| Chinese angelica root (dang gui) | 11 g (3 qian) | Rinse |
| Goji berries | 11 g (3 qian) | Rinse |
| Fresh ginger | 3–4 slices | |
| Red dates | 5 pieces | Pit before cooking |
| Lamb | 450 g | Rinse and blanch before cooking |
| Water | 8 bowls (~2 L) | Simmers down over 2 hours |
Method
- Rinse all herbs; pit the red dates.
- Rinse the lamb and blanch in boiling water for 3–4 minutes to remove impurities; drain.
- Combine all ingredients in a pot with 8 bowls of water.
- Bring to the boil, then reduce to a low simmer.
- Cook for 2 hours until the broth is rich and the lamb is tender.
- Serve hot.
Bro Niu’s tips
Choose lamb with black skin if you can find it — it has a milder gamey smell than regular lamb. Frozen lamb is acceptable (around 70–90 HKD per jin at time of writing); fresh black-grass lamb is significantly more expensive but noticeably more fragrant. This soup is fragrant and richly flavoured; it is excellent for those who feel dizzy and cold. Because it is a warm-natured tonic, avoid it during fever, dental pain, or any signs of internal heat. For a couple, reduce the lamb to around 300 g.
Community questions answered (selected)
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Q (anonymous): Can this soup be drunk during menstruation? Bro Niu: It is best to wait until after your period ends before drinking this soup.
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Q (Carol): I have a yin-deficient constitution and easily get heaty from warming foods. Recently I feel cold in bed in the days before my period, though it isn’t a cold. What soup would help? Bro Niu: You can make a soup with astragalus (3 qian), cinnamon twig (gui zhi, 2 qian), ginger (2 slices), and south jujube dates (nan zao, 5 pieces) with silkie chicken. This warms and strengthens without being too drying.
Published December 3, 2019 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.
