Homemade Cantonese Soup—American Ginseng Chicken Soup

Recently, I’ve been addicted to making all kinds of Cantonese soup in the same way my mom cooks for the whole family, and it makes me feel home :)

Today, let’s make anther traditional Cantonese soup—American Ginseng Chicken Soup.

Ingredients: chicken (around two pound, you could either buy a whole chicken or just chicken drumsticks), one bag of American Ginseng mixed Chinese herbs (which you can find at any Chinese supermarket, please see the picture below), salt

American Ginseng mixed Chinese herbs, from left: wolfberries, dried polygonatum, dioscorea opposita & Amercia ginseng

Packet of American Ginseng mixed Chinese herbs

Cooker: a pot that can hold at least one gallon of water (around 8-10 bowls of water)

Step 1: cut chicken into chunks (if you use only chicken drumsticks, you don’t have to cut them, which is easier)

Step 2: boil one gallon of water in the pot

Step 3: put the cut chicken into the boiling water for 5 mins

Step 4: take chicken out of boiling water, get rid of chicken skin, and wash them with cold water (it makes sure that the meat is as less fat as possible, so the broth is clear and non-oily)

cut and washed chicken

Step 5: wash the American Ginseng mixed Chinese herbs

Step 6: boil another gallon of water in the pot

Step 7: put the washed herbs and chicken into boiling water

Step 8: turn down the cooking heat to slow till the water is boiling again

Step 9: slow cook the soup for an hour and a half

Step 10: add salt according your personal preference, and then the soup is ready to serve!

American Ginseng Chicken Soup served in a bowl

Enjoy your homemade delicious and healthy American Ginseng Chicken Soup :)

Homemade Cantonese Soup—Ching Po Leung

Cantonese cuisine is famous for its slow-cooked soup (called lo foh tong in Cantonese dialect). The Cantonese soup is a clear, non-oily and non-greasy broth, simmering with Chinese herbs and meat. It is a must-have dish at a traditional Cantonese family dinner, because people in Canton believe that the slow-cooked soup is good for their health.

I haven’t found any real authentic Cantonese soup at any restaurant in Boston so far, so let’s homemade one of the most famous traditional slow-cooked soups--Ching Po Leung, with only 10 simple and easy steps!

Ching Po Leung (a mix of Chinese herbs)

Ingredients: two pound of pork chop, one bag of Ching Po Leung (which is a mix of Chinese herbs that you can find at any Chinese supermarket), salt

Cooker: a pot that can hold at least half a gallon water (around 8-10 bowls of water)

Step 1: cut pork chop into chunks

Step 2: boil one gallon of water in the pot

Step 3: put the cut pork into the boiling water for 5 mins

Step 4: take pork chop out of boiling water, and wash them with cold water (it helps to wash off the fat of pork chop, so the broth is clear and non-oily)

cut, boiled, washed pork chop chunks

Step 5: wash the Ching Po Leung with cold water.

7 kinds of Chinese herbs in Ching Po Leung: on the left, from top--Jade Bamboo, Dried Foa Nuts, Lily Pulp & Barley
on the right, from top--Lotus Seed, Longan Meat & Chinese Yam

Step 6: put the washed Ching Po Leung and pork chop and half a gallon water into the pot

washed Ching Po Leung in the pot

washed pork chop and Ching Po Leung in the pot

Step 7: boil the water, and then turn down the cooking heat to slow till the water is boiling

Step 8: slow cook the soup for an hour and a half

this is how it looks after an hour and a half!

Step 9: add salt according your personal preference, and then the soup is ready to serve!

yummy soup served in a bowl

Enjoy your homemade delicious and healthy Ching Po Leung soup :)