Homemade Refreshing Chicken Broth
On a cold day, nothing warms the heart like a bowl of steaming chicken soup! Come learn how to make this nutritious family favorite that will warm both your stomach and your soul!
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1.Tips for Making Chicken Soup
When preparing chicken soup, I always start by carefully cleaning the chicken, removing any stray feathers and excess fat to ensure a clearer broth. I like to rub the chicken with cornstarch or flour, which helps wash out the blood, resulting in a purer flavor.
Blanching the chicken is also a crucial step. It effectively removes any gamey taste and residual blood. Remember to start with cold water, add some ginger slices and cooking wine, then bring it to a boil while skimming off the foam.
For simmering, I prefer using a clay pot because it locks in the ingredients' freshness better. I add enough water, then toss in the blanched chicken along with soaked mushrooms, jujubes, and other ingredients. I bring it to a boil over high heat and then reduce it to a low simmer. This method yields tender chicken with a golden broth that’s fragrant and inviting.
When it comes to seasoning, I usually add salt just before the chicken is fully cooked to avoid toughening the meat. Finally, I toss in a handful of goji berries for added nutrition and a pop of color that makes the soup even more appealing.
I hope these little tips help you create your own delicious chicken soup!
2.Choosing and Substituting Ingredients
Selecting Main Ingredients
Chicken: I highly recommend using an old hen! You can choose a whole chicken or go for parts like thighs and wings.
Add-ins
Vegetables: Great options include yam, potatoes, white radish, and corn. These vegetables are perfect companions for chicken soup, enhancing the flavor and providing plenty of dietary fiber and vitamins.
Herbs: Ingredients like ginseng, goji berries, red dates, angelica root, and astragalus can turn your soup into a nourishing tonic. Just keep in mind that not everyone should consume these herbs, so choose based on personal health needs.
Others: Ginger slices, green onions, and cooking wine are essential for removing any gamey taste and enhancing the aroma, instantly elevating the soup's flavor.
Ingredient Substitutions
Chicken Alternatives: If you can’t find suitable chicken bones, pork bones or lamb bones are excellent substitutes.
Herb Substitutes: If ginseng is unavailable, you can use slices of American ginseng or white ginseng, but reduce the amount to about one-third to one-half of the original quantity.
Vegetable Substitutes: If you’re not a fan of yam or potatoes, consider other root vegetables like carrots or lotus root. These can also add delicious flavor and nutrition to your chicken soup.
3.How to Store Your Chicken Soup
Once the chicken soup is cooked, it’s important to store it in a clean glass or food-grade plastic container. Never put hot soup directly into the fridge; let it cool naturally first. Putting hot soup in the fridge can overload it and may cause the container to crack due to the temperature change.
After cooling, quickly cover the container with a lid or wrap it with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator. Keep the temperature between 0 - 4°C (32 - 39°F). This method allows you to store the chicken soup well for 1 to 2 days.
Additionally, refrigerating has less impact on the soup's texture and nutritional content compared to freezing. When you’re ready to eat, just take it out and heat it up—super convenient!
4.How to Enjoy Chicken Soup
Once your chicken soup is ready, you can enjoy it with rice or noodles, making a comforting chicken soup rice or chicken noodle soup. It also pairs well with a vegetable salad to balance out the richness.
You can serve it alongside dumplings or wontons for a delightful combination. Another option is to dip bread into the soup, or add cheese for a creamier texture.
5.What Not to Add to Chicken Soup
When making chicken soup, it's best to avoid strong-flavored seasonings like five-spice powder or Chinese thirteen-spice, as they can overpower the natural flavor of the soup. Additionally, steer clear of incompatible ingredients, such as rabbit meat, since some believe that cooking rabbit and chicken together can cause digestive discomfort. Lastly, never use any spoiled ingredients, as they can ruin the dish.
6.More Delicious Chicken Recipes
If you love flavorful chicken soup, don’t miss out on these recipes:
Goji Berry and Red Date Chicken Soup
Yellow Braised Chicken (Huang Men Ji)
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INGREDIENTS
MAIN INGREDIENTS
- One small hen (approximately 1500 grams).
ACCESSORIES
- Mushrooms (such as shiitake, 50 grams).
- Codonopsis root (Dangshen, 10 grams).
- Angelica root (Danggui, 5 grams).
- Three jujubes (red dates).
- Goji berries (10 grams).
- Dried starch or all-purpose flour (20 grams).
- Ginger slices (15 grams).
SEASONINGS
- Yellow wine or cooking wine (20 milliliters).
- Salt (10 grams).
DIRECTIONS
STEP 1
Prepare the Chicken:
Start with a 1.5 kg small hen.
Use a torch to singe off any remaining feathers.
Discard the skin from the neck.
Chop the chicken into small pieces using the back of a knife.
After chopping, rinse the chicken in clean water, adding a small handful of dried starch or all-purpose flour to help remove blood.
Rinse several times until the water runs clear.
Drain and set aside.
STEP 2
Prepare the Ingredients:
Rinse a small amount of mushrooms in clean water to soak and clean them.
You can also add codonopsis root, angelica root, and jujubes to enhance the nourishing properties.
STEP 3
Blanch the Chicken:
In a pot, add cold water and the chicken pieces.
Add a few slices of ginger and some yellow wine or cooking wine.
Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off any foam that rises.
Boil for 3-5 minutes to remove blood from the chicken.
Once done, remove the chicken pieces and place them in a bowl.
Rinse them with warm water.
STEP 4
Simmer the Chicken:
Use a clay pot and add enough mineral water or clean water, then heat it up.
Add ginger slices and green onion segments.
Once the water is hot, add the blanched chicken pieces, soaked mushrooms, and jujubes (drained).
Do not add salt at this stage. Bring to a boil, then reduce to the lowest heat and cover, simmering for about 1 hour.
Its best not to add water during this time; if necessary, add hot water.
STEP 5
Season and Finish:
After an hour, when the chicken is tender, add salt for seasoning.
Add a small amount of goji berries, cover, and simmer for another 20 minutes.
Adjust the simmering time based on the tenderness of the chicken.
If using a rice cooker, it will take about 30 to 40 minutes.
And there you have it—a delicious stewed chicken ready to enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions：
1.Should I cover the pot when making chicken soup?
It’s best to cover the pot. Covering it reduces evaporation, helping to retain enough liquid in the soup. It also creates a certain amount of pressure inside the pot, allowing the chicken and ingredients to simmer at a relatively stable temperature and pressure. This makes the chicken more tender and helps the flavors circulate, resulting in a richer and more delicious broth.
2.Can I add raw chicken to boiling soup?
The advantage of this method is that it quickly coagulates the proteins on the surface of the chicken, locking in the juices and resulting in a more tender texture. However, when adding the chicken to hot water, be sure to skim off any foam promptly, as impurities like blood will float to the surface and can affect the clarity and taste of the soup.
3.Why does my chicken soup lack flavor?
Possible reasons include poor-quality chicken or insufficient seasoning (like salt, green onions, and ginger). Other factors could be inadequate blanching, a short simmering time, or adding salt too early in the cooking process.
4.Which parts of the chicken are best for making soup?
Whole chicken, chicken thighs, chicken wings, and chicken carcasses are all great for soup. A whole chicken provides a rich flavor; chicken thighs have a firmer texture; chicken wings are fatty and flavorful; and chicken carcasses contain marrow, which enhances the soup's deliciousness.
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