Soups

Fresh Chinese Yam, Goji, Chestnut and Morel Soup

Traditionally used to support the brain and kidney and lift energy

In short: Fresh Chinese Yam, Goji, Chestnut and Morel Soup is a soup that Traditionally used to support the brain and kidney and lift energy. It is most often made for digestive wellness, children's wellness, liver wellness. Total time about 1 hr 45 min. Key ingredients: chinese yam, goji berries, chestnuts, red dates.

Prep
15 min
Cook
1 hr 30 min
Total
1 hr 45 min
Makes
1.2–1.5 L
Fresh Chinese Yam, Goji, Chestnut and Morel Soup

Why people make this soup

Autumn and winter are chestnut season. Nourilo loves them braised with chicken or ribs, and boiled they make a fine vegetarian side with greens. Buying morels at the Chinese-medicine shop, he spotted dried chestnuts too — handy to keep on hand — so he picked some up. Chestnuts are known as the “fruit of the kidney” and are traditionally said to support the brain and kidney, and they’re rich in folate. Morels are nourishing for the gut, the constitution and the spirit. Add spleen- and lung-supporting Chinese yam, liver- and eye-supporting goji, and blood-nourishing red dates, and you have a fine cold-weather pot.

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.

  • 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

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