Soups
Gui Zhi, Dang Shen and Silkie Chicken Soup
Traditionally used to support heart qi and strengthen the spleen and stomach
Why people make this soup
Chronic fatigue is one of those everyday city complaints — listless, off your food, tired-but-wired, anxious, sleeping badly, sometimes with a racing heart and a fuzzy memory. Bro Niu offers this gentle restorative bowl. It is traditionally used to support heart qi and strengthen the spleen and stomach, and is associated with helping people who feel worn out, who get breathless on the slightest exertion, and who tire easily.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- People worn down by chronic fatigue, who feel weary and short of breath on light effort.
- It is also traditionally considered helpful for an underactive thyroid picture with low heart qi, dry skin and foggy thinking, and for women going through menopause.
- It is warming — not suitable when you have an external chill with fever. Pregnant readers: leave out the cinnamon twig (gui zhi), as it is traditionally avoided in pregnancy.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Cinnamon twig (gui zhi): traditionally warming and used to support heart yang and circulation (omit in pregnancy).
- Dang shen (codonopsis): classically used to boost qi and strengthen the spleen; for severe cases it can be replaced with Korean ginseng (gao li shen).
- Red dates (hong zao): traditionally used to strengthen the spleen and support blood.
- Silkie chicken (zhu si ji): traditionally prized as a gently nourishing meat; a regular fresh chicken can stand in.
Ingredients (4 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cinnamon twig (gui zhi) | ~11 g (3 qian) | Omit in pregnancy |
| Dang shen | ~38 g (1 liang) | Or Korean ginseng for severe cases |
| Red dates (hong zao) | 10 | |
| Fresh ginger | 3 slices | |
| Silkie chicken | half a bird | Cleaned, blanched |
Method
- Clean the silkie chicken and blanch it.
- Rinse all the ingredients and put them in a pot with 8 bowls of water.
- Simmer about 2 hours down to 4 bowls, then serve.
Bro Niu’s tips
This soup is also associated with helping an underactive-thyroid picture (low heart qi, fatigue, dry skin, foggy thinking) and women in menopause. For more severe cases, you can replace the dang shen with Korean ginseng (gao li shen).
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (chronic-fatigue reader): I live overseas and can’t get silkie chicken — can I use an old chicken or a fresh ordinary chicken instead? Bro Niu: If you don’t have silkie chicken, a fresh chicken works fine.
- Q (Mandy): Is this soup suitable in early pregnancy? Bro Niu: It’s best not to use cinnamon twig in pregnancy, as it is traditionally avoided; everything else is fine, just leave out the gui zhi.
- Q (Snoopy1010): Is this soup OK for both young and old, including family members with different (cold or hot) constitutions? Bro Niu: If household members have different constitutions, leave out the cinnamon twig and use just ~11 g (3 qian) of dang shen so it isn’t too warming. You can use frozen supermarket silkie chicken.
Published February 15, 2010 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.
