Fresh Morinda Root & Loranthus Chicken Soup

Why people make this soup

Menopause is often thought of as a women’s experience, but Chinese medicine recognises that men go through a similar transition — typically between 55 and 65 — marked by fatigue, poor sleep, forgetfulness, irritability, lower back weakness, and gradually declining vitality. Women’s transition, often starting in the late 40s to mid-50s, can bring a similar pattern of symptoms. In both cases, the underlying pattern in Chinese food medicine points to a gradual depletion of liver and kidney essence — which is the same system that supports the health of tendons, bones, and hair.

Nourilo chose this soup precisely because it addresses both the common female and male menopausal experience from this root. The combination of fresh morinda root and loranthus is one of the most traditional pairings in Cantonese cooking for kidney and liver support, and adding black-skinned green soybeans (a variety particularly prized for kidney nourishment) makes it richer and more complete. The soup is also associated in Chinese tradition with supporting hair health — both preventing premature greying and encouraging hair vitality — which adds to its appeal for middle-aged adults.

Method

1. Blanch the chicken breast briefly in boiling water; drain and rinse.
2. Rinse and soak the morinda root, loranthus, black soybeans, and nan dates.
3. Place all ingredients in a pot with 1.8–2.1 L of water.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for approximately 3 hours until reduced to about 1.2 L.
5. Serve and eat the broth and soup ingredients together.

Nourilo’s Tips

This soup is nourishing for both men and women, and Nourilo notes it has additional benefits for middle-aged and older adults: it is associated in Chinese tradition with supporting skin elasticity, slowing visible signs of ageing, and maintaining hair colour and lustre — a set of benefits that makes it popular with those in their 40s and 50s. Roasted black soybeans have even stronger kidney-supporting effects and can be substituted freely for raw ones.

If the soup causes a slightly dry or warm feeling in the throat (indicating it may be a touch too warming for a particular person’s constitution), brew some American ginseng (hua qi shen) and a small piece of monk fruit (luo han guo) as a simple balancing tea to counteract the effect.