Cold Dew · Tea break · Qi Deficiency
Pumpkin & red date soy milk
Steamed pumpkin and red dates blended into hot soy milk — golden, silky and naturally sweet, warming and sustaining.
- 25 min
- Serves 2
- Steam
- Easy
NeutralBuilds qiSupports digestion, eases dryness
Why it suits you: Qi Deficiency means tiring easily and a weak appetite, and mid-afternoon is often the low point. Pumpkin and red dates gently build qi, and soy milk supports digestion and eases dryness — a warm, easy-to-digest drink for dry Cold Dew days.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 15 min- 1Peel and deseed the pumpkin and slice it thinly. Halve and pit the red dates.
- 2Steam the pumpkin and dates over high heat for 12 minutes until soft, or microwave on high for 4–5 minutes.
- 3Heat the soy milk gently until steaming, stirring so it does not boil over, then blend with the pumpkin and dates until smooth.
- 4Taste and add honey only if you like it sweeter. Pour into a pre-warmed flask and sip it warm in the afternoon.
Cautions
- Sensitive to soy? Use oat milk or rice milk instead.
Chef's tips
- When blending hot drinks, fill the jug no more than halfway and leave the lid vent open. No blender? Mash the pumpkin with a fork and whisk it in.
The TCM view
Pumpkin is sweet and warm and builds qi; red dates are sweet and warm and nourish digestion and blood; soy milk is sweet, neutral to slightly cool, supports digestion and moistens dryness. The warmth of pumpkin and dates balances the soy milk, so the cup tonifies qi gently without drying — and suits Cold Dew's dry air.
