Soups
Potato, Carrot & Quail Soup
Traditionally used to support children's growth, strengthen digestion, and encourage healthy appetite
Why people make this soup
From the age of two, children begin eating at the family table — and what goes into the family pot matters enormously. Getting children to eat vegetables can be a battle, but a well-made soup is one of the most reliable ways to sneak in nutrition painlessly. This soup is built around three genuinely nutritious everyday ingredients: potato (often called the “earth apple” in Chinese food culture), carrot, and quail. Potato is a good source of protein, minerals, vitamins, and complex carbohydrates; contrary to common assumption, cooked potato without oil does not make children fat — it actually supports strong muscles and healthy fluid balance. Carrot is one of the most child-friendly ingredients in Cantonese food therapy: sweet, gently digestive, and rich in beta-carotene. And quail, folk tradition calls “the animal ginseng” — lean, nutrient-dense, and deeply nourishing without the fattiness of chicken.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Excellent for children aged 2 and up, as well as the whole family
- Particularly helpful for children with a weak appetite, slow digestion, or poor muscle tone
- Good for adults with a weak spleen-stomach, low energy, or poor appetite
- Children with a runny nose but no fever can drink quail soup safely
- Generally suitable for the whole family; a mild and well-balanced soup
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Potato: Provides balanced nutrition — protein, minerals, vitamins, and carbohydrates; supports muscle strength and fluid balance; unlike fried potato products, boiled or souped potato is considered a healthy food in both folk tradition and modern nutrition
- Carrot: One of the most suitable vegetables for young children; associated with supporting digestion, bowel regularity, eye health, and the qi-moving function of the spleen
- Quail: Described as “the animal ginseng” in folk tradition; lean and protein-rich, associated with nourishing the five organs without heaviness; widely used in Cantonese soups for children’s growth support
- Jujube dates: Gentle, sweet tonic for qi and blood; add natural sweetness to the broth
- Ginger: Warming; helps activate the digestive system
Ingredients (4 bowls / 1 pot)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Potato | 2 medium | Peel and cut into chunks |
| Carrot | 1 medium | Peel and cut into chunks |
| Red jujube dates | 4 pieces | Pit removed |
| Fresh ginger | 2 slices | |
| Quail | 2 birds | Clean, blanch before cooking |
| Water | 8 bowls (~1.9 L) |
Method
- Peel and cut the potato and carrot into chunks.
- Remove pits from the jujube dates.
- Clean and blanch the quail: place in a pot with cold water, bring to a gentle simmer, skim foam, drain and rinse.
- Place all ingredients in a large pot with 8 bowls of water. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 1.5 hours until liquid reduces to about 4 bowls.
- Serve the soup and solid ingredients to the family.
Bro Niu’s tips
This is a gentle, all-family soup — the key is consistency. From a young age, encouraging children to eat a variety of vegetables in soup is one of the best ways to build good eating habits. Fried potato chips and crisps have far too much energy for young children and should be limited, but a bowl of this wholesome potato-and-carrot soup is a different matter entirely. For children recovering from illness who have lost their appetite, this soup is a wonderful starter — light, sweet, and easy on the stomach.
Community questions answered (selected)
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Q (Apple): My son just turned one. He eats well but is not gaining weight and grows slowly. What can I give him? Bro Niu: He may have a weaker digestive absorption capacity. Try mincing 3 liang of beef, soaking it overnight in a bowl of water in the fridge, then steaming it for 30 minutes the next day. Press out the meat juice and give that to him — three to four times a week. This gently strengthens the spleen and stomach. The remaining beef residue can be used to make a light potato-tomato soup, and use that broth to cook a small rice congee with a pinch of millet — millet is one of the best spleen-strengthening grains for little ones.
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Q (Karen): My two-year-old had Covid and now has a poor appetite. What can I give him? Bro Niu: This soup is a good start. You can also try a soup of huai shan, fu ling, lian zi, qian shi (each 1 liang), hong zao (5 pieces), and chen pi (1 piece) simmered with lean pork or chicken — it helps open up the appetite and supports digestion and absorption after illness. The whole family can drink it.
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Q (Amy): Can children with a runny nose drink quail soup? Bro Niu: As long as there is no fever, yes — children with a runny nose can drink quail soup.
Published July 3, 2021 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.
