Healthy Herb Broth Recipe

Clean and cut

Rinse the whole chicken and pork ribs under cold water. If using a whole chicken, remove excess fat and giblets. Cut the chicken into 8 pieces (or leave as halves) so it fits in your pot. Trim pork ribs into individual pieces if necessary.

Bring a medium pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the chicken pieces and pork ribs and blanch for 3–5 minutes to remove impurities. Skim off foam as it forms. This step yields a clearer broth.

Remove the blanched meats and immediately plunge into cold water or rinse under cold running water to remove surface scum. Set aside.

Rinse the dried Chinese herbs (dang shen, huang qi, dang gui, chuan xiong, bai zhu) briefly under running water to remove dust. If herbs are large, break them into smaller pieces so they release flavor more readily.

Rinse goji berries and red dates. Slice the ginger into 3–4 pieces and lightly smash the garlic cloves and green onions to bruise them and release aroma.

In a large stockpot (at least 6–8 liters), add 4 liters of cold water. Add the blanched chicken and pork ribs to the pot.

Add all rinsed herbs, goji berries, red dates, smashed ginger, garlic, and green onions to the pot with the meats.

Bring the pot to a gentle boil over high heat. Once boiling, immediately reduce heat to the lowest simmer. Maintain a low simmer (small bubbles) and partially cover the pot with a lid to reduce evaporation.

Simmer gently for 1.5 to 2 hours. If using a whole chicken, aim for 2 hours for deeper flavor. During the first 30 minutes, skim any foam or excess oil that rises to the surface with a ladle for a clearer broth.

After simmering, carefully remove the herbs and discard (they will be spent). Remove the chicken and ribs and set them on a cutting board. If you prefer, shred or slice the meat and return desired portions to the broth.

Taste the broth and season with sea salt (start with 2 tsp) and light soy sauce if desired. Add white pepper to taste. If the broth tastes flat, simmer an additional 10–15 minutes uncovered to concentrate flavors slightly.

Skim off excess fat from the surface with a spoon or use a fat separator for a leaner broth.

Ladle the hot herb broth into individual bowls, adding pieces of shredded chicken and pork ribs as desired.

Garnish each bowl with chopped cilantro or green onion and a drop of sesame oil if using. Serve immediately while hot.