Scorpionfish, Astragalus, Goji, and Red Date Soup

Why people make this soup

Scorpionfish (shi chong yu) is not a well-known fish in Western kitchens, but in Cantonese food therapy it holds a specific and respected place: it is traditionally considered one of the most effective fish for supporting the healing of deep tissue after surgery. Surface wounds typically close within 10 days or so, but deep layers take much longer — sometimes two to three months — to fully recover. Nourilo suggests having this soup about three to four times in the week or two following a procedure, not daily, and then transitioning to more general nourishing soups as the body rebuilds. If scorpionfish is unavailable, sea bass (lu yu / hai lu yu) is the most widely recommended substitute — it is easy to find, similarly firm-fleshed, and carries its own reputation in Chinese cooking for supporting the body after illness.

An important safety note: scorpionfish have venomous spines — Nourilo advises having the fish monger do the initial preparation. Handle with care at home.

Method

1. Have the fish shop clean the scorpionfish, remove fins and spines, and gut it. Handle carefully at home — the spines are venomous and cause intense pain.
2. Pat the fish dry. Heat a little oil in a pan or wok and lightly pan-fry the fish until golden on both sides. This removes the raw smell and enriches the broth.
3. Rinse astragalus slices, goji berries, and red dates briefly in cool water.
4. Place the pan-fried fish, herbs, and ginger into a pot with 1.8 L of water.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer.
6. Cook for approximately 90 minutes until the liquid reduces to 1.2 L.
7. Serve warm; drink the soup and eat any fish flesh and soft soup ingredients.

Nourilo’s Tips

• This soup is best consumed 3–5 times in the first two to three weeks after surgery, not every day. Once the surface wound has healed and appetite returns, broader nourishing soups (with lean pork, lotus seeds, huai shan, etc.) can replace it.
• If scorpionfish is unavailable, sea bass (lu yu) is the best readily available substitute. Other fresh ocean fish such as red grouper work reasonably well too.
• If you cannot pan-fry (e.g., early post-surgery when cooking at home is difficult), the fish can be added directly — just increase the ginger to 3–4 slices to manage the fishy smell.
• Lean pork can be added alongside the fish for extra flavour and nourishment — no conflict.
• Adding a piece of aged tangerine peel (chen pi) or extra ginger slices is fine and helps with digestion.