Soups
Tian Qi Leaf and Dace Fish Smooth Soup
traditionally used to support healthy blood flow and channel circulation
Why people make this soup
Tian qi (san qi) is one of the most celebrated herbs in the Cantonese food-therapy tradition. The leaves of the tian qi plant have long been used in soups to support healthy blood flow — they are milder than the dried root and pleasant to eat as a vegetable. Pairing them with scraped dace gives this soup its famously smooth, almost velvety texture: boneless, fragrant, and satisfying. Bro Niu loves this dish for how effortlessly it blends health intention with genuine comfort-food pleasure.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Well suited to adults looking to support cardiovascular wellness through everyday eating; also suitable for the elderly
- People taking blood-thinning (anticoagulant) medications such as warfarin should avoid tian qi root preparations and discuss tian qi leaf use with their doctor first
- Not recommended during menstruation if you are sensitive to cooling or blood-moving foods
- Perfectly safe as a general family soup if you simply substitute the tian qi leaves with Chinese cabbage (bai cai) or goji leaves (gou qi ye)
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Tian qi leaves (san qi ye, Panax notoginseng): In traditional Chinese food therapy, this herb is associated with promoting smooth blood flow, reducing stagnation, and supporting the heart and vessels. Raw (uncooked) tian qi is traditionally linked to moving blood; cooked tian qi tends toward nourishing.
- Dace fish (ling yu): A Cantonese kitchen staple, dace is mild in flavour and easy to digest. Scraping the flesh after refrigeration removes all bones and creates a naturally silky texture that dissolves into the broth.
Ingredients (3–4 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tian qi leaves (san qi ye) | Generous handful | Rinse well; available at Chinese herbal produce stalls |
| Dace fish (ling yu) | 1 whole fish (~300 g) | Refrigerate overnight before scraping; this makes the flesh scrapeable and entirely boneless |
| Water | 8 bowls (~2 L) | |
| Ginger | 2–3 slices | Optional, adds warmth |
| Salt | To taste | Add near the end |
Method
- Refrigerate the live or fresh dace fish for one day. This firms the flesh and makes it possible to scrape out a smooth, boneless paste using a spoon — fresh fish is too soft to scrape effectively.
- Rinse the tian qi leaves thoroughly. Bring 8 bowls of water to a boil with the ginger slices.
- Use a spoon to scoop the scraped fish meat into the simmering broth in rough spoonfuls. It will set into smooth, tender pieces almost immediately.
- Add the tian qi leaves and simmer for a further 5–8 minutes until the leaves are just wilted.
- Season lightly with salt and serve hot, eating both the broth and all the ingredients.
Bro Niu’s tips
The key trick to this soup is patience with the fish: a freshly caught dace is too slippery and soft to scrape. One day in the refrigerator changes everything — the flesh firms up and can be scraped off cleanly, leaving not a single bone behind. The result is smoother than any minced fish from a shop. If you cannot find tian qi leaves, Chinese cabbage (bai cai) or goji leaves are gentle, nutritious substitutes that work beautifully in this broth. If you are on blood-thinning medication, use the alternative leaves rather than tian qi.
Community questions answered (selected)
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Q (reader): My mother had a stroke. Can she eat tian qi leaves or cook a tian qi soup? Bro Niu: After a stroke, fresh burdock (niu bang) soup is highly recommended — burdock is traditionally associated with preventing and supporting recovery from cardiovascular events. Pair it with black wood ear mushroom, carrot, and corn with lean pork. Tian qi leaves are fine to eat, but if your mother is on blood-thinning medication, the tian qi herb preparations (especially the root) are not suitable.
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Q (Annie): I am middle-aged with low blood pressure. Can I cook fresh tian qi, dang shen, bei qi, red dates, huai shan, and goji together to raise my blood pressure? Bro Niu: For low blood pressure, a regular soup of dang shen, bei qi, huai shan, goji, and red dates with chicken or lean pork is a good approach. Fresh tian qi actually has a mild blood-pressure-lowering effect, so to use it for its channel-supporting benefits without affecting blood pressure, keep the amount to about 2–3 qian (6–9 g) or less.
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Q (hoi yee): I have poor blood quality, irregular periods, cold hands and feet, but also tend toward internal heat and vivid dreams. I am already drinking red dates, bei qi, and dang shen water. Can I add tian qi, and how much? Bro Niu: For your constitution, you can add about 3 qian (9 g) of tian qi to your current formula and cook it together. Stop taking it during your period. You can also increase the bei qi to 3 stalks for better effect.
Published May 1, 2015 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.
