Chinese White Radish Soup

Unknown Thursday, July 10, 2014 Soups Stews 2 comments

This is one of the many favourite soups my family enjoys. Commonly boiled with chicken or pork ribs, my family's version always comes with a handful of lightly crushed white peppercorn. This is to add a little heat to balance the cooling effect white radish possess. Also apparently radish soup helps in cleansing and detoxifying our digestive system, said my mum everytime we have this soup at home. With a touch of sweetness from the red dates and the extra kick and spice from the peppercorns, this soup is indeed a refreshing, comforting, and hearty soup everyone enjoys every now and then.

Ingredients:

300g chicken , cut into large pieces
1 white radish, about 200g - cut into large chunks
8 red dates, soaked to soften
1 tablespoon whole white peppercorns, lightly crushed
1 tablespoon Chinese Wolfberries ( kei qi )
700 ml water ( 2 1/2 bowls water )
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash the chicken, trimming away excess fat and then chop into smaller pieces. Blanch the chicken pieces in a pot of boiling water to remove the scum. Set the chicken pieces aside.
Heat up enough water for the soup, about 2 1/2 bowls. When water is boiling, add the chunks of radish, chicken pieces, red dates and lightly crushed whole white peppercorns. Bring to a rapid boil.
Leave to boil for about 15 minutes.
Cover, turn the heat down to low and let simmer for 1 hour.
Add kei qi and continue to simmer for another 1 hour or till soup reduced to 1 1/2 bowls water.
Season with salt to taste before serving.

To boil the soup: