Soups
Job's Tears and Chicken Broth (Ying Mi Ji Rou Geng)
traditionally used to support the spleen, strengthen the constitution, and encourage appetite in children with a weak digestive system
In short: Job's Tears and Chicken Broth (Ying Mi Ji Rou Geng) is a soup that traditionally used to support the spleen, strengthen the constitution, and encourage appetite in children with a weak digestive system. It is most often made for digestive wellness, children's wellness, energy & vitality. Total time about 1 hr 10 min. Key ingredients: job's tears (coix), goji berries, ginger, spring onion.
Why people make this dish
Parents often ask Nourilo: my child won’t eat, is too light for their age, and catches every cold that goes around — what can I do? The answer is rarely a single magic ingredient. Building a child’s constitution takes patience: regular mealtimes, gentle encouragement around vegetables, and nutritious, easy-to-digest food. This Job’s tears and chicken broth is a good place to start. Nourilo came across it on television and was taken by how practical it is — coix seeds form a naturally silky, porridge-like base; diced chicken adds protein; green peas or corn and goji berries make it colourful and appealing. It is mild, warming, and easy on a small stomach.
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.
- Job's tears (coix)
Myeloperoxidase activity rose significantly in the placebo group after 8 weeks but showed no significant change in the adlay tea group. Vascular endothelial function improved in the adlay group, especially in those over 40.Limitation: Participants were healthy adults and the outcomes were surrogate markers, so the results say little about clinical disease outcomes. Tea is a polyphenol-rich extract, not whole grain.PubMed 38945894 · 2 more job's tears (coix) 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 - Ginger
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
- 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
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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