Chicken Herbal Soup

• Cooking Time: 1 hour
• Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken chopped into small pieces
• Chinese cooking wine
• 6 slices of ginger for blanching the chicken, 2 slices of ginger for the soup
• 3 pieces of dried longan pulp
• 10 pieces dried lily bulb
• 2 sticks of dang shen (root)
• 6 pieces of dried lotus nut
• 10 pieces of dried solomon’s seal root (polygonati odorati)
• 20 pieces of goji berries or 1/3 handful
• Sauce: 3 cloves of garlic, 1 stick of spring onion

Directions

1. Prepare the dried ingredients and wash them, but set aside the washed goji berries separately as they will only be added in the last 5 mins
2. Blanch the chicken to remove impurities, add 6 slices of ginger and 2 splashes of Chinese cooking wine, start with washing the chicken pieces, remove excess fat and skin, add to wok, add water to almost cover the chicken pieces, bring to boil, boil for 10 mins or until all the impurities have come out. Pour the chicken and water out into the sink and scrub the meat.
3. Add the meat into a soup pot, add water until almost covering the chicken, add the dried ingredients (except goji berries), 2 slices of ginger, cover the pot lid, turn on high heat and bring to a boil
4. Turn down the heat to medium-low just enough so the soup keeps boiling and set timer for 20 mins.
5. While the soup is cooking, make the dipping sauce.
6. Chop 3 cloves of garlic, chop 1 stick of spring onion
7. Add oil and garlic to the wok and fry until start to become golden brown, turn off the heat and add 3 splashes of soy sauce and the spring onion. Serve sauce in small bowl.
8. Once the soup is done cooking, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
9. Take out the ginger and serve the meat in a separate bowl to the soup.