Chicken Herbal Soup Recipe

Clean and prepare chicken

Rinse the chicken and pat dry. If using a whole chicken, cut into serving pieces (legs, thighs, wings, breast). Trim excess fat. Optionally blanch the chicken pieces in boiling water 30–60 seconds to remove impurities: place pieces into a pot of boiling water, blanch, then remove and rinse under cold water. This step improves clarity of the soup.

Soak dried ingredients

Rinse dried shiitake/black mushrooms and red dates quickly. Soak the mushrooms in warm water for 20–30 minutes until softened; reserve soaking liquid (strain and set aside) to add to the soup for extra flavor. If ginseng or other hard herbs are large, rinse briefly to remove dust.

Combine ingredients

In a large soup pot (at least 5–6 L), add 3 liters of fresh water and bring to a gentle boil. Add the prepared chicken pieces, ginger slices (bruise the slices with the back of a knife first), dried ginseng, soaked mushrooms, red dates, optional angelica and astragalus if using, and the reserved mushroom soaking liquid (if any).

Initial simmer

Bring the pot back to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, lower heat to maintain a low simmer. Skim any foam or scum that rises to the surface using a ladle to keep the broth clear.

Long simmer for extraction

Simmer gently, partially covered, for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours. This slow simmer extracts flavors and nutrients from the chicken and herbs. Check occasionally and skim foam if needed; top up with a little hot water if the level gets too low.

Add delicate ingredients

In the final 10 minutes of cooking, add the wolfberries (goji berries) and the reserved mushroom pieces if you removed them earlier. These cook quickly and will become plump. Adjust salt to taste (start with 1.5 tsp then add more if needed) and add the optional 1 tbs rock sugar if the broth tastes too bitter from herbs.

Finish

Turn off the heat and let the soup rest for 5 minutes to allow flavors to settle. Taste and adjust seasoning (salt, white pepper). Remove larger herb pieces (like bulky ginseng roots or astragalus) if desired before serving.

Ladle the soup into bowls, ensuring each bowl gets a mix of chicken, mushrooms, dates and wolfberries. Garnish with sliced scallion and a light sprinkle of freshly ground white pepper. Serve hot. Leftover soup keeps refrigerated for up to 3 days or can be frozen (without mushrooms/dates for best texture) for up to 1 month.