Ginseng Astragalus Buckwheat Soup

Why people make this soup

Buckwheat has been having something of a renaissance in recent years, appearing in specialty grains blends and health food stores. Nutritionally, it is genuinely impressive: higher in protein than rice or wheat, rich in B vitamins, vitamin E, and uniquely, a compound called rutin (vitamin P) that supports capillary strength and is associated with vascular health. In food-therapy tradition, buckwheat is also considered helpful for managing blood sugar over time. When paired with classic qi- and blood-tonifying herbs — ginseng, astragalus, ligustrum, and goji — the buckwheat’s character tempers the dryness that can sometimes accompany tonic herbs, and the combination supports the whole body’s resilience. Nourilo recommends this soup as a supportive food-therapy preparation, particularly useful as a strengthening measure before demanding medical procedures.

Method

1. Rinse and briefly soak all ingredients.
2. Combine all ingredients in a pot with 2.1 L of water.
3. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
4. Cook for 1 hour 30 minutes until liquid reduces to about 600 ml.
5. Strain and serve warm. The cooked buckwheat and goji berries can be eaten.
6. Store leftover liquid in the refrigerator; reheat before serving. Keeps for up to 2 days.

Nourilo’s Tips

This soup can be made 3–4 times per week as a supportive measure. Strained leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated within 2 days. For those who have completed medical treatment and are in recovery, the focus can shift to lighter, more digestible nourishment first — soups with lotus seeds, lily bulb, snow fungus, and red dates to restore appetite and energy — before returning to more tonifying preparations like this one. For a follow-up wellness tea that is even easier to prepare, a combination of astragalus, codonopsis (dang shen), and goji berries steeped in hot water is a lighter daily option.