Dioscorea, Goji, Dried Scallop and Partridge Soup

Why people make this soup

When flu season arrives and the temperature drops, parents start thinking about how to help their children build resilience. In Chinese food therapy, the guiding principle is to use gentle, nature-based ingredients that nourish without over-stimulating — particularly for children, whose systems are still developing and can be thrown off balance by overly rich tonics. This soup uses partridge as the base — a bird prized in traditional practice for addressing chronic cough and spleen weakness in children — combined with the mildly strengthening Chinese yam, goji, dried scallop, and carrot. The result is a flavourful, nourishing broth that the whole family can enjoy, not just the children.

Method

1. Soak and rinse the Chinese yam, goji berries, and dried scallops separately.
2. Peel and cut the carrot into chunks; pit the red dates.
3. Clean the partridge and blanch in boiling water for 2–3 minutes; drain.
4. Combine all ingredients in a pot with 2.4 L of water.
5. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a low simmer.
6. Cook for 1.5 hours.
7. Serve the broth and eat the soup ingredients together.

Nourilo’s Tips

This soup is low in fat and high in protein, making it a nourishing option for the whole family without being heavy or greasy. It is particularly suited to children or adults who are constitutionally weak yet cannot tolerate rich tonics. If partridge is hard to find, quail or silkie chicken both work well as substitutes. For a family of four, one bird plus a small amount of lean pork gives a more generous pot.