Soups

Cordyceps Flower, Chinese Yam, Goji Berry and Quail Soup

Traditionally used to nourish the spleen, lungs, and vision; may support immunity

In short: Cordyceps Flower, Chinese Yam, Goji Berry and Quail Soup is a soup that Traditionally used to nourish the spleen, lungs, and vision; may support immunity. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, digestive wellness, eye wellness. Total time about 3 hr 20 min. Key ingredients: cordyceps flower, chinese yam, goji berries, ginger.

Prep
20 min
Cook
3 hr
Total
3 hr 20 min
Makes
3–4 servings
Cordyceps Flower, Chinese Yam, Goji Berry and Quail Soup

Why people make this soup

Quail has been nicknamed “animal ginseng” in Cantonese folk cooking — a small bird with an outsized reputation for nourishing the young, the elderly, and those recovering from illness. Paired with cordyceps flower (the cultivated, food-safe variety distinct from wild Tibetan cordyceps), Chinese yam, and goji berries, this is one of those soups that Nourilo describes as gentle enough for the whole family — children and grandparents included. He specifically recommends it for anyone who seems to pick up every cold that comes around, or who coughs for weeks after a minor illness.

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.

  • Cordyceps flower · Randomized controlled trial · 2015
    Compared with placebo capsules, the C. militaris group had greater increases from baseline in NK cell activity, lymphocyte proliferation, IL-2 and IFN-γ. No statistically significant adverse reactions were reported.Limitation: Only healthy men were studied, for 4 weeks, with 39 and 40 per group. Findings are immune-marker changes rather than clinical outcomes, and the capsules were an ethanol-treated preparation.PubMed 26284906 · 2 more cordyceps flower 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
  • Ginger · Meta-analysis, 23 studies · 2022
    Overall, acute and delayed nausea and vomiting did not differ significantly between ginger and control groups. A subgroup taking 1 g/day or less for over four days had less acute vomiting (OR 0.30).Limitation: Clinical heterogeneity between trials required subgroup analyses, and the authors state that sufficiently large, high-quality RCTs are still needed.PubMed 36501010 · 3 more ginger 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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