By Cara O. Frank, L.OM.
I first wrote this back in 2011, and every year I return to it. Why? Because late summer is one of the most important — and most overlooked — times of year in Chinese medicine.
Even if the Western calendar doesn’t mark it, we feel it. The light softens. Cicadas buzz in the trees. Mornings are cooler, evenings come earlier, and there’s a distinct sense that the energy has shifted. It’s not summer anymore, and it’s not yet autumn. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this is late summer: the Earth season.
Late Summer in Traditional Chinese Medicine
In Chinese medicine, there are five seasons. Late summer is the Earth element, a time of abundance, ripening, and harvest. It’s the moment when nature’s energy turns inward, preparing for the descent of autumn.
The Earth element in TCM corresponds to the Spleen and Stomach, the organs that transform food into Qi — the life force that fuels every aspect of health. Earth governs digestion, the muscles, lips, and mouth.
When Spleen Qi is strong, we feel grounded, nourished, and compassionate. When Earth is weak, we may experience:
- Worry, overthinking, or mental fog
- Digestive problems like bloating, loose stools, or poor appetite
- Muscle weakness or fatigue
- Sugar cravings or constant snacking
Late summer is the perfect time to strengthen digestion, rebuild Spleen Qi, and realign with the rhythm of the season.
How to Nourish the Earth Element in TCM
To live in balance during late summer:
- Eat Spleen-nourishing foods. Focus on seasonal produce in yellow and orange tones: squash, pumpkin, corn, carrots, and sweet potatoes. Millet — the grain of late summer — is especially supportive.
- Favor warm, cooked foods. Soups, stews, and porridges ease digestion, while cold and raw foods burden the Spleen.
- Rest with the season. Go to bed earlier and rise a little later, in sync with the shortening days.
- Practice moderation. Overeating, overwork, or over-giving depletes Earth energy. Center yourself first.
- Digest thoughts as well as food. The Earth element also governs mental processing. Step away from information overload — limit screen time, give yourself space to absorb, and let your thoughts settle.
Late Summer Recipes to Nourish
Spleen Qi
Creamy Carrot Soup (Food52 classic)
Carrots are naturally sweet and grounding — the perfect late summer food in TCM.
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 bunch fresh sage, leaves only
- 1 lb carrots, peeled & sliced
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 tsp kosher salt (to taste)
- 1 tsp white pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Melt butter in a medium pot until frothy and lightly browned.
- Add sage leaves, crisp, then remove and set aside.
- Add onion; cook until translucent.
- Stir in carrots; cook 5 minutes.
- Add stock; bring to a boil, then simmer 30 minutes until carrots are tender.
- Blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning.
- Serve topped with reserved sage leaves.
Carrot Top & Farro Soup
This recipe uses the whole carrot — the root and the greens — for a nourishing, waste-free dish. Gluten-free? Swap farro for millet (an ideal Spleen Qi food).
Ingredients
- 1 bunch carrots, with tops
- ½ cup farro (or brown rice/millet)
- 3–5 garlic cloves
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 parmesan rind (optional)
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3–5 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup diced fennel (optional)
- 1 cup fennel fronds (optional)
Instructions
- Wash carrot tops well; remove stems, chop finely. Slice carrots into rounds.
- Heat olive oil in a soup pot. Add carrots, onion, celery, garlic (and fennel if using). Sauté 5 minutes.
- Stir in farro (or millet) until coated.
- Add 4 cups stock and parmesan rind. Season lightly. Simmer 30–45 minutes until grains are tender. Add more stock if needed.
- Stir in carrot tops and fennel fronds; simmer another 10–15 minutes.
- Remove rind; serve warm.
Radish Leaf Pesto
Spicy, peppery, and bright — this balances the sweetness of late summer foods and helps move Qi stagnation.
Ingredients
- 3 cups radish leaves, stems removed
- 1 cup basil leaves
- 3–4 garlic cloves
- ½ cup hazelnuts, pine nuts, or pumpkin seeds
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- ½–1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Optional: lemon zest
Instructions
- Combine radish leaves, basil, garlic, nuts, salt, and cheese in a food processor.
- With motor running, drizzle in olive oil until smooth.
- Add lemon zest if desired.
- Serve over pasta, eggs, fish, or tofu.
Why Late Summer Matters in 2025
When I first wrote about this in 2011, I mentioned “information overload.” More than ten years later, that challenge has exploded. The constant cycle of screens, news, and stress taxes our Spleen and leaves us ungrounded.
Late summer is nature’s reminder to come back to center. By eating Spleen Qi foods, living in harmony with the Earth element, and aligning with seasonal rhythms, we can cultivate stability, balance, and resilience.
This is the power of seasonal eating in Chinese medicine: it nourishes not only the body, but also the mind and spirit.
About Cara Frank, L.OM.
Cara Frank, L.OM., was raised by a health food store in Brooklyn, NY. When she was 8, she cartwheeled 5 miles from Greenwich Village through Soho and Chinatown and across the Brooklyn Bridge. For nearly 40 years, she has had the same crazy passion for Chinese medicine. At 17, she had her first acupuncture treatment. At 20, she enrolled in acupuncture school. 1n 1998, she went to China to study where she fell deeply in love with herbs and has never recovered.
Cara is the founder of Six Fishes Healing Arts in Philadelphia. She maintains a busy acupuncture practice and acts as the head fish of the office. She is also the president of China Herb Company. You can read her full bio or schedule an appointment.
