Chinese herbal chicken soup is one of the best ways to strengthen the body to prepare for Autumn and Winter. Although the Chinese and Western views about when to eat chicken soup differ, both agree that chicken soup is a strong tonic to the system. Used in appropriate quantities, the herbs add complexity without making the soup taste medicinal. As the cool weather arrives, consider preparing some of this herbal soup to keep your family warm and colds & flu at bay!
Chicken is considered a great digestive tonic in traditional Chinese medicine. Cooking the chicken and giblets in a soup increases its ability to supplement the body and the immune system. The best chicken to use in terms of its Chinese medicine attributes is Wu gu ji or Wu ji, the Silkie Bantam breed known as black chicken. Wu ji is used in China both as a food and medicine for nourishing the body. Wu ji has black colored bones, dark flesh, and black skin. Its taste is sweet and its temperature is neutral. The channels it enters are Liver, Kidney and Lung.
Although westerners are often encouraged to eat chicken soup to recover from colds and flu, according to traditional Chinese medicine chicken soup (especially when made with medicinal herbs) is a strong tonic that should only be used in cold and flu prevention, and not when suffering from a cold or flu.
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS: You will need to visit an Asian grocery/market for the medicinal herbs!
- 1 free-range organic chicken (including the giblets), preferably black chicken if available, whole or cut into 4-8 pieces
- 2 tablespoons Shan Yao/Dioscorea opposita/Chinese wild yam
- 2 tablespoons Lian Zi/Nelumbo nucifera/lotus seed and/or 1 cup sliced fresh lotus root
- 2 tablespoons Gou Qi Zi/Lycium barbarum/wolfberries
- 8 Hong Zao/Ziziphus jujube/dried red jujube dates
- 1 turnip, sliced and quartered
- 1 parsnip, sliced and quartered
- 1 sweet potato, sliced and quartered
- 1 carrot, sliced
- 2 teaspoons sea salt, kosher or rock salt
- 4-8 cups of water
- 3-4 slices Huang Qi/Astragalus membranaceus/astragalus root
- 2 tablespoons Dang Shen/Codonopsis pilosula/codonopsis root
Add in for building warmth and strength in the body:
- ½ tablespoon Ren Shen/Panax ginseng/red ginseng
- ½ tablespoon Dong Chong Xia Cao/Cordyceps mycelium/cordyceps powder
Add in for Blood deficiency (these are very strong tasting!):
- 3 slices Bai Shao/Peony lactiflora root/peony root
- 3 slices Dang Gui/Angelica sinensis root/angelica root
- 8 slices Chuan Xiong/Sichuan lovage rhizome
DIRECTIONS:
- Rinse the herbs and let them soak in a bowl of fresh water for at least 20 minutes.
- Rinse and pat dry the chicken and giblets. You can leave the chicken whole, or cut into 4-6 pieces using a cleaver to cut through the bone so that the marrow can easily enter the broth.
- Rinse and slice the turnip, parsnip and carrot.
- Place all ingredients (herbs, chicken, giblets, vegetables and sea salt) in a large stockpot with only enough fresh cold water to cover (can vary, but usually between 4-8 cups); too much will not make a strong broth.
- Slowly bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Lower the heat to a medium-low and gently simmer for 1 hour or until chicken is tender and fully cooked.
- As the soup cooks, skim any impurities that rise to the surface. If necessary, add a little more water to keep the chicken covered while simmering.
- When chicken is tender, carefully remove to a cutting board. When it is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones, cut the meat into small pieces or use two forks to shred, and return to the stockpot.
- Strain the herbs out.
Enjoy!
