Soups
Astragalus, Goji Berry and Red Date Chicken Soup
traditionally associated with strengthening the body's defences and improving vitality
In short: Astragalus, Goji Berry and Red Date Chicken Soup is a soup that traditionally associated with strengthening the body's defences and improving vitality. It is most often made for energy & vitality, immune support, everyday balance. Total time about 2 hr 20 min. Key ingredients: astragalus root, goji berries, red dates, ginger.
Why people make this soup
When the weather turns cool, many people look for something nourishing that does not feel like medicine. Astragalus (huang qi / bei qi) has been a cornerstone of traditional Chinese tonic cooking for over two thousand years, and modern research has also taken an interest in its potential immune-modulating properties. Here it is paired with the three workhorses of Cantonese restorative cooking — goji berries, red dates, and ginger — and simmered with a young chicken for a soup that is richly flavoured, gently warming, and appropriate for nearly everyone in the family.
Nourilo notes that some people find they react poorly to stronger tonics like red ginseng, deer antler, or morinda — they overheat, develop mouth sores, or cannot sleep. Astragalus is not like that. It is warming without being heating, making it one of the most practical everyday tonics for a wide range of constitutions.
Method
- Clean the chicken and chop into pieces. Blanch briefly in boiling water to remove impurities. Drain.
- Rinse astragalus, goji berries, and red dates. Remove the stones from the red dates.
- Place all ingredients into a pot with 3 L of water.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
- Cook for about 2 hours until the liquid reduces to 1.2–1.5 L.
- Serve warm. Drink the soup and eat the chicken and other ingredients.
Nourilo’s Tips
This is one of those soups that suits the whole family across cooler seasons. It builds the body’s resilience gradually and works best when taken regularly rather than in large occasional doses. Regular drinking over time is associated with a rosier complexion and fewer colds. However — and this is important — if anyone in the family currently has a cold or fever, hold off on this soup until they have fully recovered. Giving tonics to a body that is still fighting an illness is counterproductive.
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
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 - Goji berries
Compared with placebo (n=80), the goji juice group (n=81) reported greater improvements in several self-rated symptoms, including stress, mental acuity, sleep quality and overall well-being, under a random effects model.Limitation: Outcomes were self-reported symptom questionnaires, and several symptoms showed significant heterogeneity across the four pooled trials of a single branded juice.PubMed 22897500 · 3 more goji berries studies - Red dates
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
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
- Goji berries: A few cases of raised INR (a bleeding-risk marker) have been reported in people taking warfarin after drinking concentrated goji tea or wine. If you take a blood thinner, check with your doctor. Source: Memorial Sloan Kettering — Lycium
- 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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