Nourilo

Soups

Four-Red Longan Sweet Soup

traditionally associated with nourishing blood and supporting immune health

In short: Four-Red Longan Sweet Soup is a soup that traditionally associated with nourishing blood and supporting immune health. It is most often made for blood nourishment, immune support, everyday balance. Total time about 40 min. Key ingredients: red adzuki beans, goji berries, red dates / jujubes, pitted, longan flesh.

By · Published under our editorial policy · Research library

Prep
10 min
Cook
30 min
Total
40 min
Makes
1.2 L
Blood NourishmentImmune SupportEveryday Balance
Four-Red Longan Sweet Soup

Why people make this soup

The idea behind this gentle sweet soup is beautifully simple: gather five ingredients that share a red or deep-red colour — adzuki beans, the papery skin of peanuts, goji berries, red dates, and longan — and let them work together. In traditional Chinese food therapy, red-coloured foods are associated with the heart and blood-building functions of the body. Nourilo first came across this soup from a fellow student whose friend had undergone cancer surgery; they reported that the soup helped ease fatigue and low blood-cell counts during chemotherapy. The recipe originally referenced a professor from Beijing Satellite Health Channel who described a similar formula for immune support. Whether you’re recovering from illness or simply want a warming, naturally sweet pot of something nourishing, this soup is about as easy as it gets.

Method

  1. Rinse all ingredients; pit the red dates.
  2. Combine everything in a pot with 2.4–3 L of water.
  3. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
  4. Cook for about 30 minutes until the beans are just tender and the soup is a rich red colour.
  5. Serve warm. Eat the beans, dates, and longan alongside the broth — most of the nourishment is in the ingredients, not just the liquid.

Nourilo’s Tips

The whole family can enjoy this soup. If you cannot find loose peanut skin, simply use whole red-skin peanuts (about 75 g) — the red coat on the peanut is the part you want, so avoid blanched white peanuts. For anyone with anaemia or low platelet counts, Nourilo recommends drinking this 3–4 times a week and eating some of the cooked ingredients each time. If you want extra blood-nourishing power, a few tablespoons of donkey-hide gelatin (e jiao) dissolved in the warm soup can be added.

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.

  • Adzuki beans · Randomized crossover trial, 10 participants · 2019
    Adzuki bean meals had a low glycemic index (21–51 range reported with lotus seed), whereas other starchy foods did not differ significantly from rice. Adzuki bean hydrolysis index was lower than other test foods.Limitation: Only ten healthy participants and acute single-meal responses, so effects in people with diabetes or with regular intake are unknown.PubMed 30875961 · 1 more adzuki beans study
  • 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
  • Red dates · Meta-analysis, 483 participants · 2025
    Jujube was associated with significantly lower BMI and triglycerides, and lower fasting blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. LDL and total cholesterol fell only in some subgroups. HDL, AST and ALT did not change significantly.Limitation: The authors state the overall quality of the evidence is limited, and results varied significantly by dose, treatment duration and disease type.PubMed 40399274 · 3 more red dates 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

Spot an error? Report a correction

Frequently asked questions

Why does this recipe use five red ingredients?

In traditional Chinese food therapy, red-coloured foods are associated with the heart and blood-building functions of the body. This soup gathers five ingredients that share a red or deep-red colour — adzuki beans, the papery skin of peanuts, goji berries, red dates, and longan — and lets them work together.

How long does the soup take to make, and how much does one pot yield?

The soup takes about 40 minutes in total — roughly 10 minutes of preparation followed by 30 minutes of simmering until the beans are just tender and the soup turns a rich red colour. One pot yields approximately 1.2 litres.

Is this soup suitable for the whole family?

Yes. The recipe notes that the whole family can enjoy this soup, and it is described as family-friendly and gently warming.

Can I use whole red-skin peanuts instead of loose peanut skin?

Yes. If you cannot find loose peanut skin, you can substitute about 75 g of whole red-skin peanuts — the red coat on the peanut is the part you want. Blanched white peanuts should be avoided as they lack that red membrane.

Should I drink the broth only, or also eat the cooked ingredients?

The recipe advises eating the beans, dates, and longan alongside the broth, noting that most of the nourishment is in the ingredients themselves, not just the liquid.

You might also like

Related recipes

More soups →

Comments

Loading comments…