Chicken-herbal Soup Recipe

Clean and prepare chicken

Rinse the whole chicken inside and out under cold water. Remove any excess fat, giblets, and trim skin flap. Pat dry. If using large chicken, cut into 6–8 pieces for easier handling and clearer soup.

Soak dried ingredients

Place dried shiitake mushrooms in a bowl and cover with warm water for 20–30 minutes until softened. Reserve soaking liquid by straining through a fine sieve and set aside. Rinse dried ginseng, astragalus, and codonopsis briefly under cold water to remove dust. Rinse wolfberries briefly and drain.

Prepare aromatics

Peel ginger and slice into 5–8 mm thick slices. Trim scallions and cut into 5 cm lengths. Halve the red dates if large to release more flavor.

Bring a medium pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the chicken (whole or pieces) and blanch for 2–3 minutes to remove blood and impurities. Remove chicken and immediately rinse under cold water, wiping away any scum. Clean the pot to remove residue before making the final soup for clearer broth.

In a clean large soup pot, add 3 liters of fresh water and bring to a gentle boil. Add the blanched chicken, sliced ginger, ginseng, astragalus, codonopsis, soaked shiitake mushrooms (reserve soaking liquid), halved red dates, and the reserved mushroom soaking liquid (pour carefully to avoid sediment).

Bring the pot to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to maintain a low simmer (small bubbles). Skim any foam or surface scum in the first 15–20 minutes to keep the broth clear.

Cover partially with a lid and simmer on low for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours (1.5–2 hours) until the chicken is tender and the herbal flavors have infused. If you used a whole chicken, simmer closer to 2 hours; if pieces, 1.5 hours is often sufficient.

About 10 minutes before the end of cooking, add the wolfberries and Napa cabbage or bok choy (if using) so they soften but do not overcook.

Remove chicken to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, shred or cut into serving pieces and return meat (or keep on the bone) to the pot.

Season the soup with coarse salt (start with 1.5 tsp), taste, and adjust. Add white pepper to taste (about 1/4 tsp). Stir gently.

Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with sliced scallions and cilantro if desired, and serve hot.