Nourishing ourselves and our families: a recipe for fall and winter health

by Mahalia Freed ND

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, fall and winter make up the inner, or "yin" time of the year, which is ideal for recharging and nurturing yourself and retreating to quieter, internal pursuits. For many people, fall represents a time for new beginnings and new endeavors. It is a colder part of the year, when the lungs are particularly vulnerable to colds and flu.

Change of Season Soup is an ideal medicinal food to support our health through such change. This herbal formula is a great harmonizer, helping to balance the body and mind in times of stress, especially during the change of seasons. It enhances the immune system and increases the body’s own adaptive energies.

Change of Season Soup

Traditionally, there is no separation between food and herbs in Chinese medicine. You may prepare the herbs as a well-simmered tea, or use the following recipe as a guide to make a soup that you will enjoy, adding seasonal vegetables and spices as desired. Find a version that you love? Curried? Harvest-style? Contact the clinic to share your recipe!

Drink this tea or soup daily for 1-2 weeks at the change of the seasons or any time you need extra immune support.

Basic Ingredients You can use equal parts of each herb (eg. 4 sticks of herbs 1,2, and 3, and a handful of goji berries), buy the herbs pre-packaged in Chinatown or some supplement stores, or try the following guide:
Astragalus membranaceus / Huang Qi – 4 sticks, 15 cm long
Codonopsis pilosula / Dang Shen– 3 sticks, 10 cm long
Dioscorea sinensis (Chinese wild yam) / Shan Yao– 2 sticks, 5 cm long
Lyciium barbarum (Chinese wolfberries or Goji berries) / Gou Qi Zi– 3 tbsp

Recipe Guide

Chicken and Marinade
400 g of skinless chicken pieces, on the bone
2 tbsp fresh grated garlic
2 tbsp fresh grated ginger
Salt
Pepper

Tasty Additions
1 tbsp dry ginger
1 cinnamon stick
5 cloves
5-10 peppercorns
Handful of Chinese Dates

Final Additions
1/2 C thinly sliced carrot
1/2 C chopped celery
1 C chopped bok choy
1/2 C chopped onions
Fresh coriander as garnish

Steps
Wash and dry the chicken. Marinate it in the fresh ginger and garlic in the fridge overnight. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Put all of the “basic ingredients” into about 15 cups of water in a large soup pot.
Add the marinated chicken and the “tasty additions”.
Bring the water to a boil, cover and simmer for about 1.5 hours or until the chicken is cooked. (If you are making the soup without chicken simmer for only 1 hour.)
Remove the Astragalus, Codonopsis and Chinese wild yam from the pot.
Add the “final additions’ of carrots, celery, bok choy, onions and any other vegetables you enjoy in soup and continue simmering for about 20 more minutes.
Let it cool and serve garnished with fresh coriander.