Herbal Chicken Soup Recipe

Chinese Herbal Chicken Soup

Chinese herbal chicken soup is a great way to help boost your immunity and strengthen your Qi and Blood, especially during the year's colder months. Chicken soup is known throughout many cultures to help you feel better, quicker. This hearty recipe, with the addition of therapeutic doses of Chinese herbs, makes for a delicious and healing remedy. When the herbs are added in the correct quantities it adds depth and complexity to the flavor without making it taste too “medicinal.” This herbal soup is best consumed to help boost immunity and is used preventatively to ward off sickness rather than during the midst of a cold. If you don’t have access to this widespread assortment of herbs, stick with whatever you have, such as ginger, garlic, onions, tangerine peel, etc.

Chicken is a very nourishing neutral temperature meat and is considered a digestive tonic in Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). When making this herbal soup, I suggest adding whole chicken (black chicken if you can find it), meat, bones, and giblets, as all together they have a more powerful impact in influencing the body’s Jing-essence and blood. Free-range and organic chicken is best to use, best for the environment, and they have lived happier lives. I believe that if choosing to consume meat it is important to have the bigger picture in mind as well.

It is thought that the most nourishing chicken is the Black Silkie Bantam breed, Wu Gu Ji. This breed of chicken has black bones, skin, and darker flesh. Black is a color in Chinese Medicine that is attributed to the Kidney Organ system and foods in that color are helpful to tonify the body’s Jing and increase vitality. When looking at the energetics of this meat it is used to strengthen tendons and bones, nourish the Spleen, tonify the Jing-essence, and invigorate and nourish Qi and blood.

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What Herbs to Use

• Chinese yam (Shan Yao) is a food-grade herb that helps tonify the Qi. It is a nourishing digestive herb that helps to boost digestive function and tonify the kidneys. It can help with issues such as diarrhea, fatigue, and lack of appetite. It is sweet in flavor and neutral in nature, and long-term use is recommended to help increase vitality.

• Goji Berries (Gou Qi Zi)- A delicious and well-balanced herb that helps to tonify the Liver Blood,  brighten the eyes, nourish the Lung and Kidney Yin, and mildly tonify Kidney Yang.  They can be eaten raw, cooked, died, or made into tea. They are high in antioxidants, beta-carotene, thiamine, vitamin C, and riboflavin. Many studies have shown the benefits they have on eye and liver health. Amazingly healthy and a great snack!

• Lotus seed (Lian Zi)- This herb helps to gently tonify the Spleen, Kidneys, stabilize the jing-essence, Calm the Shen and nourish the Heart. Great to help boost digestion. They are sweet and neutral.

• Dried Red Jujube dates (Hong/ Dao Zao)- This herb is another gentle and mild digestive Qi tonic, they are warming and can help nourish the Blood, strengthen the Spleen and Stomach, calm the Shen, and moderate any harsh or toxic properties of other herbs. They contain a lot of vitamins such as C, B, phosphorus, calcium, iron and more. They are also known to harmonize other ingredients in herbal formulas.

• Astragalus Root (Huang Qi) – Western herbalists know this plant as Milk-vetch root, but there are more than two thousand types of astragalus, and the Chinese variety is particularly distinctive. These powerful herbs help to boost the immune system, promote digestion, strengthen the inner energy of the body to increase energy levels, as well as can help to lower blood pressure and balance blood sugar levels. This herb is considered one of the most “important” herbs in the Chinese Materia Medica. It is sweet and slightly warming.

• Codonopsis Root (Dang Shen) – An excellent herb to help combat tiredness, chronic fatigue, stress, adrenal fatigue, and a variety of digestive problems. This herb is used to help boost vitality overall. This herb is sweet and neutral and works upon the Spleen and Lung organ system/meridians.

• Longan (Long Yan Rou) – These little delicious dried fruits, which are similar to lychee, are full of vitamins, add luster to your skin, used to promote restful sleep all while replenishing your Qi and blood. This herb/fruit is sweet and warming acts on the Heart and Spleen organ system, and can help calm the spirit.

• Ginger (Sheng Jiang)- This culinary and medicinal herb is a staple in Asian cuisine and medicine. It has dramatic results in aiding digestion, helping nausea, alleviating upset stomachs and motion sickness. Its pungent and warming nature can help to warm the organs and meridians, boost the immune system, improve respiratory health to help stop coughing, and even eliminate toxicity due to food poisoning. A staple in both your medicine and spice cabinet!

I also like to add nourishing root vegetables to my soup to increase its nutritional value and make it hearty and delicious. Root vegetables can help to strengthen and boost our digestive capabilities while supporting the Spleen and Stomach functions. They are also high in fiber, and antioxidants and absorb minerals and vitamins from the soil.

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HERBAL CHICKEN SOUP RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• 1 organic chicken (preferably black chicken if available) 

• 2 tablespoons Shan Yao/Chinese wild yam

• 2 tablespoons Gou Qi Zi/wolf berries/ goji

• 2 tablespoons Lian Zi/lotus seed and/or 1 cup sliced fresh lotus root

• 8 Dao Zao/dried red jujube dates

• 4 Pieces of Astragalus

• 5 Pieces of Codonopsis

• 10 Dried Longan

• 1” Fresh ginger  

• 3 cloves of garlic

• 1 turnip, sliced and quartered

• 1 sweet potato, sliced and quartered

• 4 carrots, sliced and halved

• 2 sticks of celery, chopped

• 1/2 onion, chopped onion

• 4-8 cups of water

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Sesame seeds and chopped green onion for garnish.

PROCEDURE

1. Rinse all the herbs and let them soak in a bowl of water for about 20 minutes. 

2. Rinse and dry the chicken and giblets. I like to leave the chicken whole, but you can also cut it into 4-6 pieces using a cleaver or kitchen scissors to cut through the bone so that the marrow can easily infuse the broth.

3. Rinse and slice the turnip, sweet potato, ginger, garlic, and onion.

4. Place all ingredients (herbs, chicken, giblets, vegetables, and sea salt) in a large stockpot with enough cold water to cover the ingredients, this amount can vary but is usually around 8 cups.

5. Slowly bring to a boil over medium heat.

6. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 hour or until chicken is tender. I like to add my celery and carrots at this point so they are not overcooked. I like to skim any impurities from the soup while it is cooking, the froth the bubbles to the surface. You can add a bit more water to make sure the chicken is fully submerged.

7. When the chicken is tender and fully cooked, take it from the soup carefully and place it onto a cutting board. When it has cooled enough to work with, remove the skin and bones, and cut the meat into small pieces. You can add the meat back into the large pot or wait until you serve the soup to re-add the meat.

8. Remove the soup from heat. Now you can strain out any herbs that are not to be consumed such as the large prices of astragalus, ginger, and codonospis.

9. Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with sesame seeds and green onion.  Enjoy!

You can omit any/ all herbs from this recipe if they are hard to find!  ( But stick with the ginger, garlic, onions and veg for a tasty soup)

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STILL HUNGRY?