Birthday, Lunar New Year, immunity, or postpartum herbal soup
15 minutes to prep
60 minutes to cook
3–4 servings
Description
If you just gave birth, this soup helps you heal during your first week. People who give birth are often pressured by family to eat mostly only animals for at least 30 days after they give birth, called Sit for a Month. But a vegan diet can be safe for new parents. For example, a 2023 study showed milk from vegan people has enough vitamin B2 and carnitine. So I spent days searching for a vegan postpartum recipe. I finally found one from an acupuncturist. But it didn’t include iron- and choline-rich foods that people need after giving birth. So I added my own twist on non-vegan Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) recipes and added tofu, such as tofu made of pumpkin seeds or fava beans, or soy tofu skin (also known as yuba in Japanese). (Soy does not lower testosterone in men or increase breast cancer risk or worsen outcomes for most breast cancer patients, including many with hormone receptor-positive (HR+) disease.)
For the first month, TCM practitioners recommend mostly resting and not doing chores such as lifting heavy groceries or mopping the floor. (Spread the good news!) That’s why it’s called “Sit for a Month.” They also recommend healing by drinking and eating only warm things, and staying warm, especially keeping your ankles, wrists, and neck covered, and wearing gloves if no one else can wash dishes.
Anyone can eat this soup, not just people who can give birth. Eating noodle soup on birthdays and during Lunar New Year is said to help you live as long as the noodles. So eat the longest noodles you can find!
Herbs in this dish can boost your immunity. Before you eat anything with herbs, read the latest studies and precautions. Here are studies and precautions on astragalus root and angelica sinensis root. Since everyone has different needs, an Oriental Medicine Doctor (OMD), Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac), or someone with a Doctorate of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM) who specializes in herbs can see what herbs suit you.
This dish also features carrot tops, which have around six times more vitamin C than carrots, as well as lots of potassium, and calcium.
I’m a fan of doing fewer dishes to save water and time. So unlike some variations of this recipe where you have to use another pot to cook noodles, you can cook the noodles with the soup.
Equipment
When cooking with herbs, such as those in this recipe, try to use ceramic or clay (first choice), stainless steel, or glass cookware. Herbs can react to other cookware. Glazed and unglazed clay pots can have toxic heavy metals. The only ceramic cookware that Mamavation tested and found no toxic chemicals is Xtrema. If you can, avoid non-stick pots because they can have toxic PFAS.
Where to get more affordable, bulk ingredients
If you can, avoid cooking store-bought herb mixes in tea bags because even one bag releases millions of microplastics in hot water.
You might be able to get ingredients below more affordably and without plastic packaging from bulk bins at places below. Also, it’s legal to put unpackaged food in your own containers at food providers, such as stores, restaurants, farmer’s markets, and food trucks (at least in California and Maine).
Tea, herb, or natural food shops:
Natural food stores:
Ingredients
Broth:
Base:
Dried fruit:
Dried roots to compost after serving:
Vegetables:
1/4 cup dried seaweed like dulse (which tastes like bacon), kombu, or wakame. You can be zero waste and forage fresh seaweed or buy dried seaweed in bulk bins and put it in your own container at your local natural food store or apothecary. Or the only places I could find dried seaweed in plastic-free packaging are the silkiest, unprocessed, sustainably-harvested, whole nori from Strong Arm Farms at Three Stone Hearth in glass jars they'll reuse or organic seaweed flakes from Ocean's Balance. Flakes come in a metal tin, though it might not arrive in used or plastic-free shipping packaging unless you request it.
One 16 ounce block of firm non-GMO tofu, chopped. You can get that in bulk bins without plastic packaging at co-ops (such as Rainbow), or natural food or Asian grocers.
Noodles (your choice). I like super chewy, grain-free, purple sweet potato noodles. I couldn’t find them without plastic packaging. The only organic brand that I could find that has less plastic packaging is by BGreen.
Soy sauce to taste
Instructions
Leftovers
Refrigerate them ideally in a glass or metal container and eat them ideally within four days. Or freeze them in a container.
Updated August 20, 2026
This content is not available for artificial intelligence (AI) or AI training.
All rights reserved. Copyright © Jessian Choy 2022-present
15 minutes to prep
60 minutes to cook
3–4 servings
Description
If you just gave birth, this soup helps you heal during your first week. People who give birth are often pressured by family to eat mostly only animals for at least 30 days after they give birth, called Sit for a Month. But a vegan diet can be safe for new parents. For example, a 2023 study showed milk from vegan people has enough vitamin B2 and carnitine. So I spent days searching for a vegan postpartum recipe. I finally found one from an acupuncturist. But it didn’t include iron- and choline-rich foods that people need after giving birth. So I added my own twist on non-vegan Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) recipes and added tofu, such as tofu made of pumpkin seeds or fava beans, or soy tofu skin (also known as yuba in Japanese). (Soy does not lower testosterone in men or increase breast cancer risk or worsen outcomes for most breast cancer patients, including many with hormone receptor-positive (HR+) disease.)
For the first month, TCM practitioners recommend mostly resting and not doing chores such as lifting heavy groceries or mopping the floor. (Spread the good news!) That’s why it’s called “Sit for a Month.” They also recommend healing by drinking and eating only warm things, and staying warm, especially keeping your ankles, wrists, and neck covered, and wearing gloves if no one else can wash dishes.
Anyone can eat this soup, not just people who can give birth. Eating noodle soup on birthdays and during Lunar New Year is said to help you live as long as the noodles. So eat the longest noodles you can find!
Herbs in this dish can boost your immunity. Before you eat anything with herbs, read the latest studies and precautions. Here are studies and precautions on astragalus root and angelica sinensis root. Since everyone has different needs, an Oriental Medicine Doctor (OMD), Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac), or someone with a Doctorate of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM) who specializes in herbs can see what herbs suit you.
This dish also features carrot tops, which have around six times more vitamin C than carrots, as well as lots of potassium, and calcium.
I’m a fan of doing fewer dishes to save water and time. So unlike some variations of this recipe where you have to use another pot to cook noodles, you can cook the noodles with the soup.
Equipment
When cooking with herbs, such as those in this recipe, try to use ceramic or clay (first choice), stainless steel, or glass cookware. Herbs can react to other cookware. Glazed and unglazed clay pots can have toxic heavy metals. The only ceramic cookware that Mamavation tested and found no toxic chemicals is Xtrema. If you can, avoid non-stick pots because they can have toxic PFAS.
Where to get more affordable, bulk ingredients
If you can, avoid cooking store-bought herb mixes in tea bags because even one bag releases millions of microplastics in hot water.
You might be able to get ingredients below more affordably and without plastic packaging from bulk bins at places below. Also, it’s legal to put unpackaged food in your own containers at food providers, such as stores, restaurants, farmer’s markets, and food trucks (at least in California and Maine).
Tea, herb, or natural food shops:
- Dried ingredients
- Broth
- Shiitake mushrooms
- Black wood ear mushrooms
- Dried fruit
- Goji berries
- Red dates
- Dried roots
- Whole angelica sinensis root
- Astragalus root
- Noodles
- Seaweed
Natural food stores:
- Vinegar
- Firm soy tofu blocks
- Soy sauce
Ingredients
Broth:
Base:
- 8 dried, whole shiitake mushrooms (xiānggū 香菇)
- 2 tablespoons dried black wood ear mushrooms (hēi mù'ěr黑木耳)
- ¼ cup rice wine
- 2 scallions, chopped with white and green parts separated
- 2-inch fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons black vinegar
Dried fruit:
- 1/4 cup dried goji berries (also called “wolfberries”)
- 1 ½ cups dried red dates (hóngzǎo 红枣, ziziphus jujube)
Dried roots to compost after serving:
- 1/2 ounce pieces of sliced astragalus root (gàn huángqí 干黄芪)
- 3/4 ounce slices of whole angelica sinensis root (gàn quán dāng guīgēn 干全当归根)
Vegetables:
- 3 carrots and carrot tops, chopped
- 1 pound lion’s mane mushrooms (shīzōnggū 狮鬃菇). Fresh mushrooms keep better if they can breathe. So when I buy them, I put them in my gently used plastic produce clamshells.
1/4 cup dried seaweed like dulse (which tastes like bacon), kombu, or wakame. You can be zero waste and forage fresh seaweed or buy dried seaweed in bulk bins and put it in your own container at your local natural food store or apothecary. Or the only places I could find dried seaweed in plastic-free packaging are the silkiest, unprocessed, sustainably-harvested, whole nori from Strong Arm Farms at Three Stone Hearth in glass jars they'll reuse or organic seaweed flakes from Ocean's Balance. Flakes come in a metal tin, though it might not arrive in used or plastic-free shipping packaging unless you request it.
One 16 ounce block of firm non-GMO tofu, chopped. You can get that in bulk bins without plastic packaging at co-ops (such as Rainbow), or natural food or Asian grocers.
- Or make plastic-free tofu with a blender or a 1-step self-cleaning soymilk maker and tofu kit.
- Or try fresh yuba, the Japanese word for soy tofu skin (豆腐皮 dòufu pí), which is chewier than dried tofu skin. You can make it. If you need to buy it, I like the Hodo organic brand.
- If you like the texture of chewy Asian fish balls, try vegan “fish tofu,” such as from Sogo Tofu which is made of organic soy flour.
- Or try soy-free pumpkin seed tofu by Pumfu or smoked fava bean tofu by Big Mountain.
Noodles (your choice). I like super chewy, grain-free, purple sweet potato noodles. I couldn’t find them without plastic packaging. The only organic brand that I could find that has less plastic packaging is by BGreen.
Soy sauce to taste
Instructions
- Soak dried shiitake and wood ear mushrooms in warm water for an hour.
- Clean vegetables and save water by putting them in a bowl and adding water until the level is above those ingredients. Remove ingredients with your hand or ladle strainer. Water plants with that water.
- Boil dried mushrooms and their soaking liquid with all broth and herb ingredients.
- Once it boils, reduce to medium-low heat and simmer uncovered without stirring it for 45 minutes.
- Add vegetables, tofu, and seaweed. Cook for 15 minutes.
- Add noodles based on the time it takes to cook them. Different brands take different times to cook. For example, if they take 8 minutes to cook, add them 7 minutes after you add vegetables and tofu.
- Season with soy sauce.
- Compost the roots instead of eating them.
Leftovers
Refrigerate them ideally in a glass or metal container and eat them ideally within four days. Or freeze them in a container.
Updated August 20, 2026
This content is not available for artificial intelligence (AI) or AI training.
All rights reserved. Copyright © Jessian Choy 2022-present
