Chinese Yam, Goji & Pearl-Meat Chicken Soup

Why people make this soup

By middle age, vision naturally begins to soften. In Chinese five-element thinking, the eyes are closely tied to the liver — so the traditional approach to tired, strained eyes is to nourish the liver. Goji berries, pearl meat and red dates are all valued for “brightening the eyes,” and this soup is a sweet, savory way to take them. Pearl meat nourishes without being heating, which is why it suits people who are run-down from overwork and might not tolerate stronger tonics.