Black Bean, Wheat Berry and Persimmon Soup

Why people make this soup

As we get older, the heart requires a little more care. Chinese food-therapy thinking groups several conditions — coronary artery disease, an enlarged heart, weakened heart function, irregular heartbeat — under the concept of the heart being insufficiently nourished by blood. The approach is not to treat these directly, but to make the daily diet as supportive as possible. This recipe does that with three thoughtfully chosen ingredients: black soybeans to nourish the kidney (which, in Chinese medicine, provides the root energy for the heart), wheat berries to calm the heart and spirit, and dried persimmons to gently smooth heart circulation. Red dates tie everything together with a gentle sweetness and blood-nourishing quality. The result is a soup that can be taken as a sweet or savoury broth and is mild enough for daily use.