Soups

Fresh Yam, Sun Mushroom & Mussel Soup

traditionally associated with strengthening the spleen, nourishing kidney qi, and supporting those recovering from illness or undergoing cancer treatment

In short: Fresh Yam, Sun Mushroom & Mussel Soup is a soup that traditionally associated with strengthening the spleen, nourishing kidney qi, and supporting those recovering from illness or undergoing cancer treatment. It is most often made for digestive wellness, children's wellness, kidney & urinary wellness. Total time about 105 min. Key ingredients: chinese yam, goji berries, red dates, cashews.

Prep
15 min
Cook
90 min
Total
105 min
Makes
1.2 L
Fresh Yam, Sun Mushroom & Mussel Soup

Why people make this soup

Hong Kong consistently ranks among the world’s longest-lived cities — a fact that surprises many given how dense, fast-paced, and stressful life there can be. While modern healthcare and low smoking rates are part of the explanation, one distinctly local habit stands out: the daily pot of slow-cooked soup. Hong Kong home cooks are known for selecting fresh seasonal ingredients — vegetables, fruit, meat, seafood, nuts, and legumes — and combining them with small amounts of traditional herbs, often adjusting the recipe to the season. This soup is Nourilo’s recommendation for the current season: deeply nourishing, easy to digest, and beneficial for a wide range of people from the health-conscious to those managing 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.

  • 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
  • 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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