Recipe - Ginseng Chicken Soup

I happen to cook this dish over the weekend. This is a wonderful ginseng chicken soup for restoring the immune system and for rejuvenating the body. When someone at home is feeling tired or worn out or had a strenuous day, then this would be the perfect meal. Taken regularly this will strengthen the immune system and helps to fight fatigue and prevent getting sick.

ginseng

The chicken is cooked slowly in a pot with dried herbs of ginseng, seedless red dates, wolfberries and dioscorea (huai shan or yam root). The slow cooking allows the nutrients to be released. I use chicken thighs for convenience. Chicken breast can also be used preferably with bone on. The chicken bone will add sweetness. The ginseng is sweet and bitter. The other ingredients are sweet.

dates

Recipe (5 servings)
5 chicken thighs (skinless with bone on)
handful of ginseng slices, about 15 pcs (ginseng root is fine)
handful of red dates (seedless), about 10 pcs
handful of wolfberries, about 15 pcs

wolfberries

5 slices of dried dioscorea

The ginseng roots, dates, wolfberries and dioscorea are available at the dried goods section of the supermarket. For ginseng slices, I got mine from Chinese medical shop.

Method:
Blanch the chicken thighs in boiling water for 5 minutes to get rid of the fat and smell.
Boil 1 litre of water in a pot.
Add the chicken, ginseng, dates, dioscorea.

dioscorea

Once the water boils, reduce to low and let the soup simmer for 1 hour.
Add the wolfberries about 15 minutes before the hour.

The ginseng chicken soup is ready to serve.

Here is a 6 minutes video showing how to cook ginseng chicken soup.
This is Korean style.

This ginseng chicken soup uses knorr seasoning.