Tired of your everyday bone broth? Tina has put together her all time favourite recipe for Chinese Chicken Soup – perfect for every day or even just those days where you soul needs some comfort and nourishment. Who has childhood memories of visiting Grandmas when they were sick and she would always cook up some chicken soup for you? Even back in the day, they believed in the uplifting qualities of a well-cooked chicken soup.

 

While more recently bone broth has dominated the paleo and gut health world, a tasty chicken soup or broth is just as prized. Especially when great quality ingredients are used.

 

Often the long forgotten meal of winter time, synonymous with cold and flu, Chicken Soup is a nourishing option year round.  For just a quick and basic soup, it only requires about 30 – 60 minutes of cooking.  To turn it into broth/stock it requires a much longer period of cooking.  At least 4 hours or more to release gelatin (collagen) from the skin and bones.

 

To create a delicious and more concentrated broth or stock requires a much longer period of slow cooking.  At least 4 hours or more to release gelatin (collagen) from the skin and bones.

 

Ingredients

  • 500 grams of organic or free range chicken pieces, skin on (gelatin is found in skin and the cartilage, ideal for gut health)
  • 3 – 4 cm piece of fresh ginger finely sliced
  • 3 – 4 cloves of fresh garlic, peeled and sliced
  • 1 – 2 whole stalks of Eschallots (spring onions)
  • 4 – 6 dried Shitake mushrooms
  • 1/2 – 1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns
  • 1- 2 whole Star Anise
  • Sea salt to taste… or light soy sauce…or fish sauce

Optional:  1 – 2 fresh coriander stalks
Optional:  1/2 – 1 cup of Shao Xing wine (contains gluten), or dry sherry, or dry white wine

 

Method

Put all ingredients in a large 6 -7litre stock pot.  Fill with filtered cold water.  Bring to the boil and reduce to simmer for about 1 hour ( for soup, longer for broth).
Remove chicken pieces and set aside to have with steamed green vegetables, or shred the chicken meat to add back into the soup. Remove and strain all the aromatics from the soup and discard. Cook longer for broth/stock until it is reduced in volume.  Extra boiling water can be added if necessary.  This soup/broth/stock can be frozen.

 

Shitake mushrooms

Shitake mushrooms are available in either dried or fresh versions. Shitakes are said to have about ten times the flavour of your average white mushrooms. Dried shitake mushrooms can be stored for up to a year in your freezer. Shitake is also said to have strong natural abilities to minimise inflammation, harmful bacteria and viruses and more. They are packed with B vitamins.

 

Bon Appetit!