The Chinese have a whole repertoire of herbs which can be added to Chinese soups and is no exception.  Among these herbs, there are a variety of traditional herbs that go well with Chicken.  I’ve selected a few for the purpose of this soup ensuring a light combination of herbs for the whole family.  This is actually designed for my teenage daughter who has recently started her period.  So something light, but sufficient enough for her bodily needs.

Ingredients

• 1 fresh whole chicken, quartered, organs removed
• 5 pieces of dried conch
• 5 pieces of dried sea snail
• 5-6 dried scallops (conpoys)
• 1/2 cup of dried barley
• 15 pieces of dried lotus seeds (with their middle core removed, else it will be bitter and their skin removed)
• 5 large dried large sugar dates
• 3 liters of water

Cooking Instructions

1. Begin to soak all the herbs in warm water (to clean them) for about 15 minutes and rinse
2. You can begin to boil your soup pot water
3. In a separate pot, blanch the quartered chicken ensuring that it is all boiling within the water for 7 minutes.  This process will both clean it and remove the initial fat.  You can keep the skin on if you’d like, but be sure to use an oil scooper to remove the top layer of fat.  Drain and set aside for soup use.
4. Once your soup water boils, add the blanched chicken into the water and all the soaking herbal ingredients
5. Bring to a medium boil for 30 minutes covered
6. You can now either reduce boil to a low heat, but be sure it’s still simmering for another 1.5 hours covered, or transfer to a self cooking thermal pot for another 2 hours.
7. Salt as needed, although to be honest, if there are dried seafood ingredients, less salt is needed.
8. Serve and enjoy!

Soup Benefits:

• This soup is perfect for cooler days as it’s slightly warming, so a great transition soup for Autumn
• It’s also great for as a winter soup, particularly if you add Black Silkie Chicken
• A majority of the herbal ingredients can be found in a Chinese Soup Basic Ingredients Pantry
• Perfect for confinement, postpartum, and post period
• Ideal for the whole family, including children
• These ingredients are readily available in most Chinese supermarkets around the world, all you need is just a chicken!
• Be sure to to consult your (Chinese) doctor first if you’re unsure of consumption or suitability