Nourilo

Soups

Lotus Seed, Sour Jujube and Longan Soup

Traditionally used to nourish heart-blood and support restful sleep

In short: Lotus Seed, Sour Jujube and Longan Soup is a soup that Traditionally used to nourish heart-blood and support restful sleep. It is most often made for heart & circulation, sleep & calm, blood nourishment. Total time about 70 min. Key ingredients: lotus seeds, euryale seeds, lily bulb, longan flesh.

By · Published under our editorial policy · Research library

Prep
10 min
Cook
60 min
Total
70 min
Makes
900 ml
Heart & CirculationSleep & CalmBlood NourishmentEveryday Balance
Lotus Seed, Sour Jujube and Longan Soup

Why people make this soup

There is a particular kind of tiredness that comes not from lack of sleep, but from too much dreaming — the kind where you wake up feeling like your brain never had a real rest. In Chinese food-therapy thinking, this pattern is associated with what practitioners call “scanty heart-blood and weak heart-qi”: the body is sleeping, but the mind keeps running. Nourilo sees this as increasingly common in modern life, and he offers this soup as a gentle, nourishing way to support the transition into deeper, quieter sleep. The ingredients have a mildly sweet, slightly complex flavour — not at all medicinal-tasting — and the whole family can share it. Drink it about two hours before bedtime.

Method

  1. Rinse all ingredients gently under running water.
  2. Place everything in a pot with 1.8 L of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
  3. Simmer for approximately 1 hour until the liquid reduces to about 900 ml.
  4. The soup naturally has a pleasant sweet-tart flavour; no additional seasoning is needed.
  5. Drink 2 hours before bedtime. Eat the soft lotus seeds, euryale and lily bulb along with the soup.

Nourilo’s Tips

This soup has a gently sweet and slightly sour taste — genuinely pleasant with no need for sweeteners. For those who sleep but dream excessively, Nourilo also suggests a simpler nightly remedy: simmer fresh or dried lily bulb with 10 longan pieces in 450 ml of water down to 300 ml, and drink before bed. Repeat for four to five nights. Do not use fresh lily bulb if you can help it — dried lily bulb has a stronger therapeutic effect. For people with constipation tendencies, note that both lotus seeds and euryale are mildly astringent (binding); if constipation is an issue, consider swapping them for black wood ear fungus, dried figs, lily bulb and longan in a separate soup.

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.

  • Lotus seeds · Randomized crossover trial, 10 participants · 2019
    Lotus seed meals had a low glycemic index (GI 21–51 across the lotus seed and adzuki bean meals), while several other starchy foods did not differ significantly from rice. Lotus seed's in vitro hydrolysis index was also lower than that of other test foods.Limitation: Only ten healthy participants and acute single-meal tests, so findings may not apply to people with diabetes or to long-term intake.PubMed 30875961
  • 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

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.

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

Spot an error? Report a correction

Frequently asked questions

What does this soup traditionally do in Chinese food-therapy thinking?

This soup is traditionally prepared to nourish the heart and spleen and support calm, restful sleep. In Chinese food-therapy thinking, the ingredients are associated with supporting the transition into deeper, quieter sleep, particularly for those who sleep but wake feeling unrestored from excessive dreaming.

When should this soup be taken?

It is traditionally taken about two hours before bedtime. You can also eat the soft lotus seeds, euryale, and lily bulb along with the soup.

How long does it take to make, and how much does it yield?

The soup takes approximately 10 minutes to prepare and 1 hour to simmer, for a total time of about 70 minutes. It yields roughly 900 ml, described as a family serving.

Is this soup suitable for people with constipation?

Lotus seeds and euryale are noted to be mildly astringent (binding), so those with constipation tendencies should take note. The recipe suggests considering a separate soup made with black wood ear fungus, dried figs, lily bulb, and longan as an alternative.

Is fresh or dried lily bulb better for this recipe?

Dried lily bulb is preferred; the recipe specifically notes that dried lily bulb has a stronger therapeutic effect than fresh lily bulb.

Answers this recipe appears in

You might also like

Related recipes

More soups →

Comments

Loading comments…