I love drinking soups in December because it’s a (relatively) colder month and drinking hot soup gives a feeling of warmth and well-being. And it adds additional comfort now that I am having a cold that won’t go away after more than a week =( This soup is nourishing and especially great when you are feeling fatigue; it boosts your general well being.
A note on the recipe below: For recipes involving Chinese herbs, I follow the portions used in prepacked mixes so that I won’t overdose, haha (in this case, I follow the portions used in Chwee Song’s pre-packed chicken soup). I feel that buying the herbs individually is much more economical than buying premixes and you can use the herbs for many other soups and dishes. Not plagiarism by sharing this because we are still encouraging the sales of individual packets of herbs that the brand sells, right? ;p
Chinese Herbs Chicken Soup (炖鸡汤)
Ingredients
(serves 3)
Běi Qí (北芪) 6g*
Dǎng shēn (当参) 15g*
Huái Shān (淮山) 11g*
Wolfberries (枸杞子) 23g
Yù Zhú (玉竹) 23g
1.5 litres water
1/2 chicken, skin removed
salt (optional)
* approx. 3 pieces based on the sizes seen in above picture
Time Saving Tip:
I pack these ingredients inside a ziplock bag (use a separate small plastic bag/cling wrap for the wolfberries) and place it in the freezer. When I am busy, I just take the packet out, wash the herbs, and cook with the chicken.
Directions
1. Blanch chicken in boiling water for a few minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water & set aside.
2. Place blanched chicken and the rest of the ingredients in water. After coming to a boil, simmer on low heat for at least 30-45 minutes, and longer if you can. You can also double boil, slow cook, or use a thermal pot.
3. Season with salt if necessary. Serve with hot, fluffy rice.
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I like almost any kind of soup.
I tried Chwee Song prepacked herbal mix before. I like it. You can try steaming a chicken with the herbs and with some seasonings…you can make “Emperor Chicken” (or those steamed herbal chicken) you can get outside.
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Yes, this is such a nice weather for soups. I felt so comforting even with a simple miso tofu soup.
Do you make trips to TCM to buy the herbs as and when you need? Or buy the basics and store at home?
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tf:: hihi, I tried steamed herbal chicken b4 but not emperor chicken, maybe I will try that sometime ;p
didally:: I buy a packet of each herb from NTUC/Eu Yang Sang and store at home… I think it’s cheaper and more convenient this way, hee
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Hmmm … one of my favourite soup! If you can get dried sliced ‘abalone’, add that and you get extra sweet soup.
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