Potato, Fresh Lotus Seed and Chicken Breast Soup

Why people make this soup

In busy modern life, eating irregularly, skipping breakfast, and habitually drinking large iced drinks can gradually weaken what traditional food therapy calls the “spleen and stomach” system — the body’s digestive center. The early signs are mild: reduced appetite, a cold sensation in the stomach area, some bloating. As the pattern continues, the stomach pain becomes a recurring dull ache that worsens when hungry or when cold or raw food is eaten, accompanied by loose stools, fatigue, and cold hands and feet. The everyday potato — often overlooked as a therapeutic ingredient — is one of the most accessible stomach-tonifying foods in the tradition. It is associated with building spleen energy, easing stomach cramping, and nourishing the body gently. Paired with fresh lotus seeds (which support the spleen and kidney), warming ginger, red dates, and lean chicken breast, this soup delivers targeted support in a form that is easy for even a compromised stomach to handle.

Method

1. Peel potatoes and cut into chunks.
2. Shell fresh lotus seeds and remove the inner bitter green core from each seed.
3. Pit the red dates.
4. Blanch the chicken breast in boiling water for 2 minutes; drain, rinse, and set aside whole or cut into pieces.
5. Place all ingredients in a pot with about 2.1–2.4 L of cold water. Bring to a boil.
6. Lower heat and simmer for 1.5 hours until liquid reduces to approximately 1.2 L.
7. Serve warm. Eat the soup and the solids.

Nourilo’s Tips

Fresh lotus seeds are in season during summer and can be found at Chinese or Asian grocers — their flavor is sweeter and more delicate than dried. When removing the core, the small, bitter green center of each seed pops out easily with a toothpick or skewer. In this recipe, the core is removed because its cooling nature would counteract the soup’s warming intent. However, the cores need not be wasted — steep them in boiling water as a tea, which traditionally supports calming the heart and lowering blood pressure.

If fresh lotus seeds are not available, 37 g (38 g) of dried lotus seeds works well as a substitute.

People with a cold-constitution stomach are encouraged to also make a warming habit of drinking brown sugar or black sugar ginger tea regularly — simple to make and effective for gradually warming and settling the stomach over time.