Soup Name:  Chicken and Veggies – Soup for Beginners

Traditional Chinese Name: 雞菜湯 (jī cài tāng)

Introduction:
We often hear that, although people enjoy drinking Chinese soups, they would never make it by themselves because it’s “too hard”.   Here is a super simple soup that takes the “scariness” out of chinese-soup making because it demonstrates how easy chinese-style soups can be.   The style is similar to how we make most chinese soups, but it contains no chinese-specific ingredients!  To make it more “chinese”, simply add chinese mushrooms to your veggie mix.

I recently made this soup for my toddler who, being so young, is definitely a beginner to soups.   She loved the bite-sized vegetables which were soft and easy to munch.  The clear broth was also good for her suspicious mind since she could clearly see everything she was eating.

What Ingredients are required?
Chicken – any chicken (whole, thighs, wings, feet, etc…)
Veggies – any veggies (carrots, celery, onions, potatoes, chinese mushrooms, etc…)

How do I prepare it?

1. Boil 2 – 3 L of water
2. Wash and chop all vegetables (bite-sized pieces are great for children who are more likely to eat the pieces which fit in their mouth)
3. Put in the chicken
4. Put in the vegetables
5. Cover and boil for one hour (or more for softer veggies)
6. Serve and enjoy!

Any benefits?

• Easy and delicious
• A neutral soup; suitable for everyone
• Can be high in fiber (simply add more veggies!)