Herbal Chicken Soup

Dangshen Hongzao Dun Ji Tang (党参红枣炖鸡汤)

A luxurious chicken broth is infused with Chinese herbal ingredients and enriched by mushrooms, goji berries, and jujube fruit.

The Chinese name for this soup (党参红枣炖鸡汤) may seem a little long and complicated at first glance if translated directly. Literally, it means Braised Chicken Soup with Codonopsis and Jujube. This soup is essentially just a Chicken Soup with herbal (i.e., medicinal) ingredients. Roots, fruits, and ‘shrooms all work together, creating a rich, nourishing soup that revitalizes the body, mind, and spirit.

Along with Ginger, two rather unique roots are used in this Herbal Chicken Soup, which add not only flavor but also healthy nutrients. Codonopsis Root (党参) boosts the immune system and may also increase appetite. Lady Bell Root (沙参) has been used in Chinese medicine for centuries for treating coughs. Ginger may be a common ingredient but has numerous health benefits, from calming nausea to easing muscle soreness. While no one should treat this soup as a miracle cure or an alternative to medicine, a warming bowl of Herbal Chicken Soup will definitely boost your spirits every time.

Oddly enough, this Herbal Chicken Soup has fruit in it. Jujube and Goji Berries are common soup ingredients in China. Jujube is also known as Chinese dates or red dates. They are often used as a medicinal ingredient and are thought to alleviate stress and harmonize other ingredients. Goji Berries, while maybe not better or worse than any other berry, are rich in vitamins and minerals. Finally, neither fruit adds a lot of sweetness to the soup, but they do add a subtle complexity to the flavor along with their possible health benefits.

The final key ingredient to any good Herbal Chicken Soup is definitely Mushrooms, and this ingredient is the one with the most variation. There are so many different types of mushrooms and therefore so many possibilities. Any type of Shimeji or Enoki Mushroom can be used. Button mushrooms, portobellos, and shitake mushrooms, though a little unconventional, are viable options. However, if you would really like to take the soup to the next level, I suggest using Flowering Caterpillar Fungus (虫草花). It not only has great flavor and unique texture, but also possible health benefits, which is why it’s such a common addition to Herbal Chicken Soup in China.

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 2 - 4 hours

Total Time: 2 - 4 hours

Serving: 4 people

Ingredients

1/2 of a Chicken

100 grams of Mushrooms (such as White Beech Mushrooms/ Shimeji 海鲜菇; Golden Needle Mushrooms/ Enoki 金针菇; or, Flowering Caterpillar Fungus/ Cordyceps militaris 虫草花)

Aromatics
2-inch block of Ginger
1 8-inch white stalk of Big Scallion

Herbal Ingredients
4 Jujube
2 tsp. Goji Berries
3 Codonopsis Roots (党参; about 10 grams)
2 – 3 sticks of Lady Bell Root (沙参; aka Adenophora Root; about 15 grams)
1/4 tsp. Cracked White Peppercorns

1/4 cup Shaoxing Rice Wine

1 Tbsp. Salt

Directions

1.) Wash off the Chicken and place it on a cutting board. Separate the head, the neck, the body, the wing, the thigh, the leg, and the foot. Cut each part of the Chicken into roughly 1 1/2-inch slices and then chop these slices into roughly 1 1/2-inch chunks. Place the Chicken in a bowl of water and let the pieces soak for about 30 minutes.

(The Chicken doesn’t need to be cut perfectly for this recipe, so long as all of the pieces are roughly the same size. The neck, the wing, and the foot do not need to be cut and can be left whole, depending on your preference. The head can be discarded, but I recommend saving the neck and cooking it in the soup even if you will not eat it later. The neck and foot will add a lot of good collagen and flavor).

2.) Separate the Mushrooms, wash them, and set them aside in a bowl for later.

3.) Either slice the Ginger or simply smash it and place it in a bowl. Cut the Scallion stalk in half and add it to the bowl of Ginger. This will be the bowl of Aromatics.

4.) Prepare a bowl for the Herbal Ingredients:

• Cut the Jujube in half and put them in the bowl.
• Cut the Codonopsis Roots into 4-inch-long pieces and place them in the bowl.
• Snap the Lady Bell Root into 4-inch-long pieces and place them in the bowl.
• Finally, add the Goji Berries and White Peppercorns to this bowl.

5.) Fill a large pot with water and add the Chicken, the Rice Wine, and the bowl of Aromatics.

6.) Heat the pot on high and bring the water to a boil. As the water heats, skim all the scum off the surface of the water so that once the water has reached a full boil, the soup is quite clear.

7.) Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. After this time, remove the Scallion and Ginger, and skim off any remaining scum off the surface of the soup.

8.) Add the Mushrooms and Herbal Ingredients to the soup. Cover the pot and simmer for at least 1 hour, but preferably around 2 to 3 hours for maximum flavor.

9.) Season the soup lightly with Salt to taste. Ladle the broth along with pieces of Chicken and Mushrooms into a bowl. While the herbal roots used to flavor the soup can be added to the bowl as a sort of garnish, they should not be eaten. The Jujube and Goji Berries can be eaten, but be careful of the pit in the Jujube fruit. This type of soup is usually served ‘as is’ at most restaurants; however, it can be served with a Dipping Sauce.

 

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