Bird's Nest (w / Chicken) Soup Recipe

1. Soak Bird's Nest

Place the dried edible bird's nest in a clean bowl and cover with cold water. Soak for 6–8 hours or overnight until softened and expanded. Drain, trim away any dark bits or feathers with sanitized tweezers, and gently shred into bite-size threads. Reserve 150 ml of the soaking liquid, discard the rest.

2. Prepare Broth

Rinse the chicken bones/carcass under cold water. In a large pot, add the bones, 2,500 ml cold water, smashed ginger, and Shaoxing wine. Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce to a gentle simmer. Skim off any foam or impurities from the surface for the first 10–15 minutes.

3. Simmer the broth gently, partially covered, for 1.5 to 2 hours to extract flavor. After simmering, strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot, discarding solids. Taste the strained broth and skim off excess fat if desired; you should have a clear, fragrant stock.

4. Prepare Chicken and Additions

While the broth simmers, soak dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water for 20–30 minutes until pliable; squeeze out water and slice. Rinse goji berries briefly. Cut chicken into large bite-size pieces. Add the chicken pieces, sliced shiitake mushrooms, jujubes, and rock sugar to the strained broth. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10–12 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through but still tender.

5. Incorporate Bird's Nest

Reduce heat to very low. Add the prepared bird's nest and 2 tablespoons (about 30 ml) of the reserved soaking liquid to the pot. Because bird's nest is delicate, simmer gently for an additional 8–12 minutes — just long enough for the nest to soften fully and take on the broth flavor. Do not boil vigorously or the texture will break down.

6. Taste the soup and season with rock sugar (already added; adjust if you prefer sweeter), 1.5 tsp fine sea salt, 0.25 tsp white pepper, and 1 tsp light soy sauce. Stir gently to dissolve. Finish with 1/2 tsp sesame oil for aroma.

7. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls so each bowl receives pieces of chicken, a portion of bird's nest, shiitake slices, a couple of jujubes and a small handful of goji berries. Garnish with thinly sliced scallion. Serve immediately while hot.