Chinese Yam, Euryale & Dried Turtle Skirt Soup

Why people make this soup

Waking up multiple times a night to use the bathroom is exhausting — and it is surprisingly common, particularly in older adults and people who work demanding schedules. In traditional Chinese food therapy, frequent night urination is often viewed as a sign of kidney deficiency: the kidney’s “holding” function has weakened. Nourilo encountered dried turtle skirt (the gelatinous cartilage rim of the softshell turtle) at a dried-goods shop and found it a practical, concentrated ingredient for this kind of soup — packed with collagen and traditionally considered deeply yin-nourishing. Combined with Chinese yam, euryale seeds, and ginkgo, the resulting soup is nourishing without being too stimulating, and is generally considered balanced enough for the whole family.

Method

1. If using dried turtle skirt: soak in cold water overnight. The next day, blanch in water with ginger and spring onion for 10 minutes, then turn off heat and allow to steep for 2 hours before using.
2. Shell the ginkgo nuts and remove the bitter green core from each one.
3. Soak and rinse the Chinese yam and euryale seeds.
4. Combine all ingredients in a pot with 2.4 L of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 3 hours until the broth reduces to around 0.9–1.2 L.
5. Serve and eat both the soup and the solid ingredients.

Nourilo’s Tips

This soup nourishes deeply without causing dryness or overheating — it is what traditional food therapy calls “tonifying without dryness,” making it suitable for the whole family. It is particularly effective for women with excessive vaginal discharge. If turtle skirt or fresh softshell turtle is not available, lean pork is a perfectly reasonable substitute — it reduces the therapeutic concentration a little but still makes for a good, nourishing soup. If after 3–5 doses of this soup there is no improvement in night urination, please see a doctor for a proper assessment.