Soups
Ginkgo, Walnut, Foxnut and Francolin Soup
traditionally used to nourish the lungs, spleen, and kidneys and support children prone to cough and wheeze
In short: Ginkgo, Walnut, Foxnut and Francolin Soup is a soup that traditionally used to nourish the lungs, spleen, and kidneys and support children prone to cough and wheeze. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, digestive wellness, children's wellness. Total time about 2 hr 15 min. Key ingredients: ginkgo nuts, cashews, ginger, red dates.
Why people make this soup
If you have a child who catches every respiratory infection that comes around, who coughs for weeks after a cold seems to clear, or who wakes at night with a wheeze — this soup is the kind of recipe Chinese families return to again and again. It is not a quick fix or an emergency remedy; it is the opposite. It is a slow, deeply nourishing soup meant to be drunk when the child is well, over time, to gradually build up a stronger foundation in the organs that Chinese food therapy associates with breathing and immunity: the lungs, the spleen, and the kidneys. Traditional thinking holds that “the spleen is the source of phlegm” — meaning a weak digestive system constantly produces excess mucus. Strengthening all three organs together is how you break the cycle of repeated 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.
- Walnuts
Office systolic BP changed by -4.61 mm Hg with walnuts versus -0.59 mm Hg in controls (P=0.051); 24-hour ambulatory systolic BP difference was not significant (P=0.111). No diastolic BP changes were observed.Limitation: Only 236 of 305 participants (75%) completed the study, and the main between-group differences did not reach conventional significance.PubMed 30879358 · 2 more walnuts studies - Ginger
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 - Red dates
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
- Ginkgo nuts: Fresh ginkgo seeds are toxic, and serious side effects have occurred after eating roasted seeds. Always cook them thoroughly, keep to the small amount in the recipe, and take extra care when serving children. Source: NIH NCCIH — Ginkgo
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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