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.