Major Cold · Lunch · Qi Deficiency
Codonopsis, pumpkin & chicken soup with rice noodles
A quick chicken soup with codonopsis and red dates, plus pumpkin and rice noodles — gently sweet and warming for a Major Cold lunch.
- 50 min
- Serves 2
- Quick soup
- Easy
WarmingBuilds qiWarms the stomach
Why it suits you: Qi Deficiency means tiring easily and cold hands. Major Cold is the coldest time of year: codonopsis and red date chicken soup builds qi, and soft pumpkin and rice noodles are easy to digest — you stay warm and alert all afternoon.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 35 min- 1Skin and chop the chicken, start it in cold water and boil for 2 minutes, then drain and rinse. Rinse the codonopsis and cut it into short lengths.
- 2Bring the chicken, codonopsis, red dates, ginger and 1.2 litres of water to the boil, then simmer on medium-low heat for 25 minutes.
- 3Deseed the pumpkin, cut it into chunks and add to the soup for 10 minutes until tender. Season with salt.
- 4Meanwhile, cook the rice noodles in another pan as the packet says, blanch the choy sum for 1 minute and divide between two bowls.
- 5Ladle over the soup, chicken and pumpkin and eat while hot.
Cautions
- Leave out the codonopsis during a cold, fever or sore throat — the plain chicken soup is fine.
Chef's tips
- A 35-minute lunch at home. For the office, make the soup the night before, reboil it in the morning and pour it into a thermal flask; pack the noodles separately.
- Skinning the chicken keeps the soup clear and light, with no layer of fat.
The TCM view
Codonopsis is sweet and neutral and builds qi for digestion and the lungs; chicken is sweet and warm and warms the middle; pumpkin and red dates are sweet and warm and nourish qi and blood; ginger is pungent and warm and dispels cold, its slight pungency helping yang qi rise. Warming and gentle — tonifying without heat, ready for spring.
