Four Red Soup (Si Hong Tang)

Why people make this soup

Nourilo often notices that women who work desk jobs tend to worry a great deal about their weight — sometimes skipping meals or cutting back on food in ways that do more harm than good. Extreme calorie restriction can lead to low blood sugar, poor circulation, cold hands and feet, hormonal disruption, and a washed-out, pallid complexion. True wellness, Nourilo believes, isn’t about being as thin as possible — it’s about having good colour, energy, and warmth in the body.

That is where the Four Red Soup comes in. It gets its name from the four naturally red or reddish ingredients: red dates, red adzuki beans, red-skinned peanuts, and goji berries. Each one has a long tradition in Chinese food therapy as a blood-nourishing ingredient. Together, the soup is mild, naturally sweet, deeply coloured, and genuinely pleasant to drink — particularly in the cooler months. It can also support recovery after surgery, significant blood loss, or following chemotherapy when blood cell counts may be lowered.

Method

1. Soak the adzuki beans and peanuts in cold water for 20–30 minutes; rinse.
2. Pit the red dates.
3. Rinse the goji berries.
4. Combine all ingredients in a pot with 1.8 L of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a low simmer.
5. Cook for about 1 hour, until the liquid reduces to 600–900 ml.
6. Serve warm and eat the cooked beans, peanuts, and dates for maximum benefit.

Nourilo’s Tips

This soup works well as a warming drink on its own, but the real goodness is in the ingredients — eat the beans, peanuts, and dates, not just the liquid. For women with very cold constitution who feel pallid and always chilly, adding 2–3 slices of fresh ginger and a small handful of brown sugar during cooking transforms this into a very warming blood-building drink. The soup is also considered supportive after surgery, heavy blood loss, or during cancer treatment recovery when blood cell counts are suppressed — always continue any prescribed medical treatment alongside food therapy in those situations; please see your doctor.