Chicken-herbal Soup Recipe

Inspired by Walk-On's Atlanta, GA - The Battery

Time1h 50m

Serves4

Chicken soup cooked with a variety of herbs such as ginseng, ginger, black mushrooms, wolf-berry fruits, dried dates and/or special ingredients for a speedy recovery.

Was this page helpful?

Help improve this recipe for others.

Send this recipe to your inbox.

We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.

Ingredients

Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Broth & main protein

2.2 lb (1 kg) whole chicken (cut into serving pieces) or bone-in chicken parts

10.6 cup (2.5 l) water

1 1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt

Herbal & aromatics

1/3 oz (10 g) dried ginseng root (or ginseng slices)

1.06 oz (30 g) fresh ginger

6 pieces dried shiitake or black mushrooms

0.71 oz (20 g) wolfberries (goji berries)

6 pieces dried red dates (jujubes), pitted if desired

1/3 oz (10 g) optional: astragalus root (huang qi)

Flavor finishing & garnish

1 tsp light soy sauce

1/2 tsp White pepper

2 stalks scallions (green parts) sliced

0.18 oz (5 g) Fresh cilantro (optional)

Method

Broth & main protein

Prepare chicken

If using a whole chicken, remove excess fat and any giblets; rinse briefly under cold water. Cut into 6–8 pieces. Pat dry.

Blanch chicken: place chicken pieces in a pot, cover with cold water (enough to submerge), bring to a gentle boil for 2–3 minutes until scum rises. Drain and discard blanching water; rinse chicken pieces and the pot to remove impurities.

Return blanched chicken to a clean large soup pot and add 2.5 liters fresh cold water.

Herbal & aromatics

Prepare herbs: rinse dried shiitake/black mushrooms and soak in warm water 20–30 minutes until pliable; reserve soaking liquid (strain and keep). Rinse ginseng, astragalus, wolfberries and red dates quickly under cold water. Slice ginger into 4–6 mm thick pieces and lightly smash with the side of a knife to release aroma.

Add herbs to the pot: add ginseng, astragalus (if using), ginger, soaked mushrooms, mushroom soaking liquid (about 50–80 ml), wolfberries and red dates to the pot with chicken and water.

Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, reduce heat to low so the soup barely bubbles. Cover partially and simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours to extract flavors and medicinal qualities from the herbs and to cook the chicken until tender.

Flavor finishing & garnish

After simmering, taste the broth. Skim any remaining fat or foam from the surface with a spoon for a clearer broth.

Season: add 1½ tsp salt (or to taste), 1 tsp light soy sauce and ½ tsp white pepper. Stir gently and simmer uncovered for another 5 minutes to integrate seasoning.

Finish and serve: transfer chicken pieces and herbs to a serving bowl or ladle soup into bowls, ensuring a balance of broth, chicken, and some herbs. Garnish with sliced scallions and cilantro if using. Serve hot.