Black chicken herbal soup

My mum made me this soup when I had my baby to help me restore lost nutrients and to regain energy due to the high feroglobin found in this type of dark meat chicken. This is not your typical white meat chicken soup. It is an authentic Chinese recovery soup that mothers serves for their daughters who has given birth. Every mother will have their own past down versions but this is the version my mum taught me. It is also a beneficial soup for anyone who has low energy, feeling tired and suffering from fatigue.

Why the use of black chicken?
Black chickens are Silkie chickens. Silkie chickens have been prized for their medicinal value since the seventh century. Their dark meats contains feroglobin that helps with blood circulations, building, and restoring blood in the body. It also acts as a light tonic, eliminating toxins in the body as it contains high levels of antioxidants. That’s right…a meat that contains antioxidants! I’m thinking this could be the next superfoods. It really should be!
The chicken also adds a gamey flavour to the soup. These birds are tough to eat so the meat itself is only soft to eat after being steamed or boiled for an hour and a half.

What are the other herbs good for?
Goji berries are known for being high in antioxidants, rich in beta-carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin C, and amino acids. Goji berries are believed to enhance the immune system, protect the liver, improve eye vision, and to help combat fatigue.

Codonopsis pilosulathis roots is a long woody looking roots with brown horizontal lines. They help fight against ulcers, boost the immune system, delays aging and helps to eliminate toxins in the body.

Astragalus roots looks like tree barks and is a strong anti-inflammatory which helps to boost a weak immune system. They have anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties and are used to treat common colds. Their antioxidants inhibit free radical production which helps eliminating toxins from our body and to slow down aging.

Ginseng has so many extraordinary properties I could go on all day. I’m just going to name a few of their benefits to keep this short. They are a general tonic, lowers micro circulation around the heart, reduces cholesterol, enhances physical, mental performance, enhances memory, combats aging by eliminating free radicals, has anti-viral properties and is an overall immune booster.

Make: 3-4 rice bowls
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour 30 mins

Ingredients
• 1 black chicken
• 6 cups hot boiling water
• 1 stick Ginseng
• 3 Astragalus roots (But kay)
• 3 Codonopsis pilosulathis roots (Dong Sum)
• 1 tablespoon goji berries
• Salt to taste

Directions
• Wash and soak both Astragalus roots (But kay) and Codonopsis pilosulathis roots in 2 cups of hot water for an hour.
• Wash the black chicken and quickly blanch the chicken in hot boiling water for 2 minutes and cut into quarters or into smaller pieces. Discard the water.
• Add 4 cups of water Into a Chinese porcelain steam pot, place the chicken along with Goli berries, Astragalus roots, Codonopsis pilosulathis roots and their 2 cups of hot water.
• Lid on, place the porcelain steam pot into a large pot. Make sure you have sufficient amount of hot boiling water to steam the porcelain pot at this stage. You can fill the large pot until the water reaches halfway surrounding the porcelain steam pot.
• Boil on a high heat for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to a medium/low setting and boil for 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Add a pinch of salt to taste before serving the soup.

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