Lingzhi, American Ginseng & Dendrobium Soup

Why people make this soup

Traditional Chinese food therapy holds that the liver and gallbladder are most active between 11 pm and 3 am, a window when the body ideally needs rest to clear metabolic waste. Night-shift nurses, security guards, taxi drivers, and maintenance workers who must stay awake through those hours often find themselves developing symptoms that practitioners describe as yin-deficiency with internal heat — lingering fatigue, dry throat, restlessness, or a low-grade feeling of being “overheated.” This soup brings together several herbs long valued for nourishing yin and supporting the body’s natural defences, making it a popular choice for anyone whose schedule runs against the clock.

Method

1. Rinse all ingredients except the American ginseng slices; soak briefly to clean.
2. Combine all ingredients except American ginseng in a pot with 1.8 L of water.
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for 1 hour until the liquid reduces to 600–900 ml.
4. Turn off the heat, add the American ginseng slices, cover and steep for 5 minutes.
5. Drink warm. You can eat some of the softer ingredients (dates, goji berries) too.

Nourilo’s Tips

Night-shift workers should generally drink plenty of water, eat fresh vegetables and fruit, and keep digestion regular. Avoid heavily fried, spicy, or overly stimulating foods. Strongly warming herbs like Korean ginseng or deer antler are not suitable — they can intensify heat symptoms. Cooler yin-nourishing herbs such as American ginseng, dendrobium, ophiopogon (mai dong), Solomon’s seal (yu zhu), and lily bulb (bai he) are more appropriate for this constitution.