Soups

Chinese Yam, Goji, Polygonatum, Mai Dong and Quail Soup

Traditionally used to nourish the heart, support qi and strengthen the spleen and stomach

In short: Chinese Yam, Goji, Polygonatum, Mai Dong and Quail Soup is a soup that Traditionally used to nourish the heart, support qi and strengthen the spleen and stomach. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, digestive wellness, heart & circulation. Total time about 2 hr 20 min. Key ingredients: chinese yam, goji berries, sweet apricot kernels, apple.

Prep
20 min
Cook
2 hr
Total
2 hr 20 min
Makes
1.2–1.5 L
Chinese Yam, Goji, Polygonatum, Mai Dong and Quail Soup

Why people make this soup

Around Lunar New Year the table is always full, and Nourilo likes a soup that nourishes without turning heating. This pot pairs quail with Chinese yam, polygonatum and mai dong so it feeds you gently rather than firing you up. Two apples stand in for the usual carrot, giving the broth a naturally sweet, rounded taste.

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.

  • Goji berries · Meta-analysis, 161 participants · 2012
    Compared with placebo (n=80), the goji juice group (n=81) reported greater improvements in several self-rated symptoms, including stress, mental acuity, sleep quality and overall well-being, under a random effects model.Limitation: Outcomes were self-reported symptom questionnaires, and several symptoms showed significant heterogeneity across the four pooled trials of a single branded juice.PubMed 22897500 · 3 more goji berries studies
  • Ginger · Meta-analysis, 23 studies · 2022
    Overall, acute and delayed nausea and vomiting did not differ significantly between ginger and control groups. A subgroup taking 1 g/day or less for over four days had less acute vomiting (OR 0.30).Limitation: Clinical heterogeneity between trials required subgroup analyses, and the authors state that sufficiently large, high-quality RCTs are still needed.PubMed 36501010 · 3 more ginger 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.

Ingredient notes for this recipe

  • Goji berries: A few cases of raised INR (a bleeding-risk marker) have been reported in people taking warfarin after drinking concentrated goji tea or wine. If you take a blood thinner, check with your doctor. Source: Memorial Sloan Kettering — Lycium
  • Apricot kernels: Raw apricot kernels contain amygdalin, which turns into cyanide after eating. EFSA estimates that half of one small raw kernel can exceed the safe level for a toddler. Use no more than the recipe states, never eat them raw, and do not serve them to young children. Source: European Food Safety Authority

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

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