Soups

Codonopsis, Astragalus and Partridge Soup

traditionally taken to support the body's defenses during flu season

In short: Codonopsis, Astragalus and Partridge Soup is a soup that traditionally taken to support the body's defenses during flu season. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, immune support. Total time about 2 hr 15 min. Key ingredients: codonopsis root, astragalus root, red dates, ginger.

Prep
15 min
Cook
2 hr
Total
2 hr 15 min
Makes
1.2 L
Codonopsis, Astragalus and Partridge Soup

Why people make this soup

Flu spreads once autumn arrives, and it tends to hit harder than a common cold — chills, fatigue, cold sweats, aching joints, and often a high fever. Nourilo’s everyday advice is to eat well: vitamin A and C from fresh fruit and veg, plus zinc-rich foods like oyster, shrimp, enoki, malt and black sesame, and a little onion, garlic, spring onion and ginger in your cooking. When you want a proper restorative, this codonopsis, astragalus and partridge soup is a fine tonic, traditionally used to strengthen the body’s defenses.

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.

  • Astragalus root · Meta-analysis, 8 studies, 750 participants · 2025
    TA-65 was associated with longer leukocyte telomeres compared with controls, but the meta-analysis found no significant improvement in frailty measures or inflammatory markers (CRP/IL-6). Mild gastrointestinal effects were reported.Limitation: Industry-funded trials reported larger effects than others, and the compound is a purified extract at doses not comparable to eating Astragalus root.PubMed 41286474 · 3 more astragalus root studies
  • Red dates · Meta-analysis, 483 participants · 2025
    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
  • Ginger · Meta-analysis, 23 studies · 2022
    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

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

  • Astragalus: May interact with medicines that suppress the immune system. A thorough safety evaluation has not been done, and little is known about its safety in pregnancy or breastfeeding. Source: NIH NCCIH — Astragalus

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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