This soup is a powered up version of the Chicken Herbal Soup.

Packed with the natural sea-sweetness of the abalones and herbs, it’s a great soup for the cold winter months or confinement. You can eat the abalone as whole pieces (usually the smaller ones are cheaper, but it’s still an expensive soup), or sliced thinly and dipped in soy sauce.  Regardless, don’t waste the abalone! 

In addition, I know it says Chicken soup, but the Chinese commonly also add a small pork shank or pork bone to their otherwise known as Chicken and even Fish soups.  You can’t get away from the staple pork.

Ingredients

• 1 fresh whole chicken, prepared and quartered

• 1 pound of fresh pork shank (or any other pork parts for soups is suitable)

• 6-7 fresh small abalones (or dried)

• 5-6 dried scallops (conpoys)

• 1 handful of wolfberries

• 20 g of dried peanuts (for soups)

• 20 g of euryale or fox nuts

• 5 sticks of dried Chinese yam

• 3 L of water

Cooking Instructions

1. Prepare chicken (in quarters) by rinsing and blanching in a pot of boiling water (let it boil for about 2-3 minutes)
2. Remove chicken and set aside
3. Boil your pork in the same pot of boiling water as the chicken (for 2-3 minutes)
4. Drain water and set aside
5. Wash and clean abalone (with a toothbrush to be sure to brush off all the black residue)
6. Wash and soak for 10 minutes all the dried herbs
7. Boil your soup water

What I love about this soup

• This soup is only so slightly warming and designed to replenish qi and yang (also helps with replenishing and strengthening blood). 
• While the abalone itself is slightly cooling, it’s complimentary and offset by the warming chicken and other ingredients (if you want warmer soups, see below)
• A very easy soup to make as you literally throw everything in together
• It’s a versatile soup in that you can add different neutral vegetables (such as chayotes or corn)

Other chicken soups to try!

There are so many versions of this type of warming, herbal Chicken soup.  Check them out below!

Traditional Chinese Herbal Soup (as a Hot Pot Base)