Soups
Fresh Yam, Dendrobium and Silkie Chicken Soup
Traditionally nourishes yin, generates fluids, and soothes stomach heat
Why people make this soup
Yin deficiency is a pattern seen often in modern life: chronic stress, late nights, irregular eating, and overwork can all gradually deplete the body’s cooling and moistening reserves. The classic signs are a warm feeling in the palms or feet, mild thirst, dry mouth and throat, poor sleep, a constipated or dry stool, and a gnawing hunger that somehow does not translate into a real appetite — as if the stomach is smouldering without fuel.
Fresh Chinese yam (xian huai shan) and fresh dendrobium (xian shi hu) are two of the most respected yin-nourishing ingredients in Cantonese food therapy. Together in a silkie chicken soup, they create a broth that is genuinely delicious — sweet, clear, and delicate — without being heavy or hard to digest. It is also one of Bro Niu’s recommended soups for people recovering from surgery who find that rich, warming tonics are too strong for their depleted system.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Suitable for the whole family; particularly good for those with yin-deficient body type: dry mouth and throat, warm palms, poor sleep, thin build
- Excellent post-surgery recovery soup for those who are “too depleted to accept nourishment” (xu bu shou bu)
- Those with menstrual periods can drink this soup freely during their cycle
- Not suitable for those with active colds, flu, or fever
- If using dried dendrobium, soak for 30 minutes before adding to the pot
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Fresh Chinese yam (xian huai shan): Sweet and neutral; one of the gentlest and most versatile tonics in Chinese food therapy; supports the spleen, stomach, and kidneys; helps generate fluids and ease digestive symptoms
- Fresh dendrobium (xian shi hu): One of the most valued yin-nourishing herbs; traditionally used specifically for stomach yin deficiency — the burning, gnawing, dry sensation; also nourishes kidney yin and clears gentle heat; fresh form is considered superior to dried
- Silkie chicken (zhu si ji): Black-skinned, dark-fleshed chicken; considered gentler and more yin-nourishing than ordinary chicken; widely used in recovery and women’s health formulas
- Jujube dates (nan zao): Sweet, gently warming; tonify qi and blood, and harmonise the other ingredients; red dates (hong zao) can be substituted
- Ginger: Warms the stomach slightly to balance the cooling nature of dendrobium; aids absorption
Ingredients (5–6 bowls)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh Chinese yam (xian huai shan) | 6 liang (~225 g) | Peel and cut into sections; or use dried huai shan |
| Fresh dendrobium stem (xian shi hu) | 1 liang (~37 g) | Rinse and cut into sections; substitute 3 qian (~9 g) dried if unavailable |
| Jujube dates (nan zao) | 4 | Remove stones |
| Fresh ginger | 2 slices | |
| Silkie chicken | 1 whole bird | Cleaned, chopped into large pieces; blanch in boiling water first |
Method
- Peel the fresh yam and cut into sections. Rinse the fresh dendrobium and cut into sections.
- Stone the jujube dates.
- Clean and portion the silkie chicken. Blanch the pieces in boiling water briefly, drain, and discard the blanching water.
- Combine all ingredients with 10 bowls (~2.5 litres) of water in a pot.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours until reduced to 5–6 bowls.
- Serve with the soup solids — eat the yam, dendrobium, and chicken along with the broth.
Bro Niu’s tips
This soup is naturally sweet and delicate — it needs no heavy seasoning. If fresh dendrobium is unavailable, dried dendrobium soaked for 30 minutes works beautifully; use about 3 qian (9 g). Corn and carrot can be added to the pot without any problem and will make the soup even sweeter. This soup is also suitable for people who feel nauseous after rich foods or tonics — the gentleness is one of its strengths. Red dates (hong zao) can substitute for nan zao.
Community questions answered (selected)
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Q (Kat): How should dried dendrobium be prepared? Bro Niu: Soak the dried dendrobium in clean water for about 30 minutes before using — then it is ready to go into the pot.
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Q (May): Can dried huai shan and dried dendrobium be used instead of fresh? Also, I am four months pregnant — can I drink this soup? Bro Niu: Dried huai shan and dried dendrobium are perfectly fine as substitutes. For the soup additions: red beet has mild blood-moving properties and is best after childbirth rather than during pregnancy — use tomato instead. Carrot, corn, goji berries, and ginger are all fine during pregnancy.
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Q (Daisy): My husband had emergency minimally invasive appendix surgery. After being discharged he has cold hands and feet and speaks hoarsely, as if he has lost his vital qi. What soups would help? Bro Niu: This yam and dendrobium soup is a good choice for him. For the hoarse voice, try a separate drink: 10 fresh green olives (lightly crushed), half a dried monk fruit (luo han guo), and ophiopogon root (mai dong, 3 qian) — simmer in 5 bowls of water to 2 bowls and drink over two days. For cold hands and feet, add astragalus (bei qi, 3 qian) and cinnamon twig (gui zhi, 3 qian) to the main soup.
Published February 20, 2021 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 4 min read.
