Beetroot & Sweet Corn Soup

I have very limited encounter with "Beetroot" as I only ate it as one of the ingredients found in some sandwiches. Although I have heard/saw a lot of interesting recipes using "Beetroot" as one of their ingredients, I have never thought of using it till today. And to my surprised this can really blend well into our Asian soup too.....

Beetroot can consider to be a very versatile ingredient that can be in many area of cooking. For eg:- in salad, sandwiches, bakes, cakes, dessert and even soup. Sometime it can also be use as a dye to replace artificial colouring. So today's soup of the day, we will try this together with corn and carrot which will add in extra sweetness to the soup.

Ingredients:- (serves 4)
500g Pork Ribs
2 Medium Size Beetroots
1 Sweet Corn, cut into section
1 Medium Carrot, cut into 1" slices
6-8 Red Dates
1/2 Tablespoon Wolfberries, optional
1.5 Liter of Boiling Water

Method:
1. Rinse, clean and place the pork ribs in boiling water for about 3 minutes, remove and rinse well. Set aside for later use.
2. Rinse the beetroot, peel of the outer skin with a vegetable peeler. Cut it into big cubes or wedges.
3. Remove the husk and leaves of the corn, rinse and cut it into 3 sections.
4. Bring 1.5 Litre of water to boil in a medium soup pot, add in all the above ingredients except wolfberries.
5. When the mixture comes to boil again, lower the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes or alternatively you can transfer the soup to a slow cooker and cook it on AUTO for about 2.5 hours or so. (add in wolfberries 15 minutes before cooking time)

This soup is so sweet and full of flavour that it don't even require any extra seasoning. The sweetness comes naturally from all the ingredients used and the colour of the soup look so gorgeous. From the glance of it, it looks just like any red wine/red currant juice. Em... but just a little sharing, although the soup might give a little "Rooty" flavour but this is indeed a very nutritious soup for kids. We ate all the ingredients except the "beetroot" because it has a very odd taste which my boy feedback that it taste like "roots/wood" :p

Winter Melon, Sweetcorn & Pork Ribs Soup

The weather for the past few weeks had being so hot and humid that we really need to have some cooling soup to cool down our body system. While chatting with one of the mum of my boy classmate, she was sharing with us on some of her daily soup that she made for her family. One of the key ingredients that she often use for soup is "Winter Melon - 冬瓜", which we rarely cooked in our household.

Accordingly to some housewife myth, Winter Melon is used to boil soup with pork ribs or other herbs for cooling purpose such as quenches thirst and expel summer Heat. Whereas Huai Shan whets the appetite and strengthens the Spleen while Gou Qi Zi improves eyesight and promotes blood cell formation so these two mild herbs are suitable for the whole family. The use of carrots can also lower the blood glucose, invigorate the Spleen too. On the other hand, Corn is rich in many kinds of Vitamin B and C, thus preventing vascular sclerosis.

Ingredients: (serves 4)
1 Round Piece of Winter Melon(冬瓜), around 150 - 200g
300g of Pork Ribs
100g Fresh Huai Shan(淮山)
1 Small Carrot, cut into 1" thick
1 Corn(玉米), cut into 3 sections
5 Red Dates(红枣)
1/2 Tablespoon of Wolfberries(枸杞子)
1.5 Litre of Boiling Water

Method:
1. Roughly peel off the outer skin of the winter melon, scrap off the seed, rinse and cut into 2" rectangle cubes size.
2. Repeat the same procedure for the fresh huai shan and set aside.
3. Blanched the pork ribs in boiling water for about 30 seconds, rinse and set aside.
4. Bring the pot of water (1.5 litres) to boil, add in the pork ribs, winter melon, huai shan, carrot, corn and red dates to boil for about 5 minutes.
5. Transfer the pot of soup to slow cooker and cook on AUTO for at least 2 hrs. Add in wolfberries 30 minutes before cooking time.
6. Or if you don't have any slow-cooker at home, you can simmer the soup on the stove for about 45 minutes on low heat.


So why not try to whip out this cooling soup for your family during this hot and humid weather to quench their thirst as well as build up their immune system. I am sure this will be a great soup for kids as the adding of carrot and corn gives this soup it's nature sweetness as well as that extra flavour.

Bak Kuet Teh

Bak Kuet Teh is one of the popular Chinese soup found in Asia countries, such as Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and etc. In Singapore there are mainly 3 different types of Bak Kuet Teh and the Teochew version is more popular with patrons with its light color soup base that is more pepper in taste. Whereas for the Hokkien who prefer stronger taste soy sauce is added which results a darker soup. But as for Cantonese extra Chinese herbs, gingok nuts and etc are added to create a stronger flavoured soup.

Lotus Root, Pumpkin & Pearl Bean Soup

Look at these beans, they look beautiful right? I love to add some of these Pearl Beans while cooking soup for the family. It will add a nutty flavor and creamy texture to the soup but then since it will get cook and turn soft pretty fast, you can only add them into the soup 20 minutes before the soup is done. Do not add too early or else you won't be able to find the whole bean itself.


It had being a long time ever since I used this little jewels in my soup. So today, since I had found some fresh and lovely Pearl Bean Pods in the market, I decided to use it together with some Pumpkin and Lotus Roots to make this wonderful nutty and hearty soup.

Ingredients:
300g Pork Ribs
1 Medium Section of Lotus Roots, about 200g
10 - 15 Pearl Bean Pods (珍珠豆)
1/4 (200g) Wedge of Australia Pumpkin, cut into thick chunk
1 Medium Carrot, peel and cut into thick slices
5 Red Dates(红枣 )
1/2 Tablespoon Wolfberries(枸杞子)
4 - 6 Cloves Of Garlic
2 Slices Of Ginger

Methods:
1. Wash and trim the pork ribs then scald in boiling water and rinse again.
2. Wash, peel and cut the lotus roots into thin slices.
3. Remove the beans from the pods and rinse well.
4. Heat up the a soup pot with some oil, then saute the ginger and garlic till fragrant then add in the pork ribs, lotus roots and carrot, stir and saute for another 2 - 3 minutes on very low heat.
5. Add about 1.5 litres of water and bring it to boil.
6. Simmer the soup for about 30 minuter then add in the pumpkin and pearl beans and continue to simmer for another 20 - 30 minutes
7. Season it with salt or stock cubes according to your preference.

Notes:
a) I use the Australia Pumpkin which is more Orange in colour and sweeter compare to the local pumpkin which is more towards the yellowish colour side.
b) You can replace pork ribs with lean meat or chicken according to your preference.

Red Raddish Soup

Have you ever seen this Holland Red Raddish in any of the supermarket or wet market before? I just bought one from NTUC after Tracy's recommending me to try on this soup which she got to learn from her mum. So far I still have not find out what is this Raddish good for, for those who had cooked this before. Maybe you wish to share your experience or recipe with us, you can email me. Thanks.

Ingredients:
300g Pork Ribs/Chicken Drumstick
1 Medium Size Holland Red Raddish, about 200g
10g Dried Longan,龙眼干
10g Dried Huai Shan,淮山
10g - 15g FoxNut,茨实
5g Gou Qizi,枸杞子
5 Red Dates, 红枣

Methods:
1. Wash and trim the pork ribs/chicken drumstick then blanch in boiling water, rinse and set aside for use.
2. Wash, peel the skin of the raddish and cut into thick wedges.
3. Rinse all the dried herbs and set side.
4. Bring 1 litre of water to boil, add in all the ingredients and bring to boil again then transfer it to a slow cooker and simmer over Auto Heat for about 2 - 3 hrs.
5. Season the soup with salt before serving.

Ginseng Black Chicken Soup

Feel like having some nutrition soup for this week as so happen Tracy was visiting me so I thought maybe can double boiled this soup and spilt half with her. Since only the adult prefer the Ginseng taste rather than the kid, I guess it's a good way to share in order to finish the soup :)


The Main ingredients used are small Ginseng Root and Black Chicken together with some other herbs to improve and strengthen the lungs and blood circulation. If you want to know more on what's the function and usage of each herbs, you can refer to the Basic Chinese Herbs I and Basic Chinese Herbs II links.

Ingredients:
1 Small Black Chicken,黑鸡
3-4 Gingseng Roots, 小人参
4 Slices Of Dang Gui, 当归片
4 Slices Of Huai Shan, 淮山片
1 Slices Of BeiQi, 北耆
1-2 Piece of Dang Shen(当参), cut into smaller pieces
6 Red Dates, 红枣
1 Tablespoon Gou Qizi, 枸杞子
10-12 Dried Lotus Seeds, 莲子
5g Dried Longan, 龙眼干

Methods:
1. Wash, trim and remove the skin and fats from the chicken. Cut the chicken into 3 - 4 large sections and blanch in boiling water then rinse and set aside.
2. Rinse all the dried herbs and set aside.
3. Soak the dried lotus seeds in hot water for a few minutes or till soft then remove all the pits in in to prevent it from bitter.
4. Bring a pot of 1.2 Litres of Water to boil then add in all the ingredients and bring to boil again.
5. Transfer all to a slow cooker and simmer on Auto for about 3 Hours.
6. Season the soup with salt if you prefer and serve warm.

Notes:
a) You can used normal free range chicken instead of black chicken if you prefer.

Herbal Soup For Cough

I had being coughing badly for the past 3 weeks and it seems that all the medicine or herbs that I had used to take before all lost their effect. So after being drag for so long, I decided to give this Herbal Soup For Cough a try. You might feel...Err.... "Crocodile Meat", how does it taste like? Friendly speaking, this soup smells and taste fishy which i guess is because of the Crocodile meat. But after all it's really a good soup to relieves cough and strengthens function of respiratory system. Just like what they said in Chinese(良药苦口) although it's might taste awful or bitter but it is definitely good for health.


Ingredients:
2 Pieces(30-50g) Dried Crocodile Meat(鳄鱼肉)
20g Nan Bei Xin(南北杏)
6 Pieces Of Dried Huai Shan(淮山)
10g Chuan Bei Mu(川贝母)
1/2 Piece Of Chen Pi(陈皮)
5 Red Dates(红枣)
2 - 3 Dried Figs(无花果)

Methods:
1. Rinse all the herbs and place it in a double boiler.
2. Add in 1 litre of boiling water and double-boiled for about 2 - 3 hours and serve.

Fresh Peanut Roots & Mushroom Pork Ribs Soup

There is this saying that "Chinese made soup from roots of peanut to help youngsters to grow taller" especially when given to them during their teen years. Some also believed that boiling fresh peanut leaves in water and drinking the before bedtime can ensure a good night sleep. But all other than these believed, you still can whip out some nice and fragrant soup using this Peanut Roots which can be found is most vegetables stall in the local wet market.

To me, I found it very time consuming to wash these peanut roots. Because they are filled with dirts that you need to wash, scrap and soak it in water until clean before you can proceed in making the soup.


For this soup, I also add in some extra dried soup peanuts and Dried Brazil Mushrooms(click on link for more info) to enhance the flavour. I boiled all the ingredients with some pork ribs and chicken bone to hope that it will make the soup morenutritionn and sweet. This is my first time using Brazil Mushrooms which is introduce by Edith from Precious Moments.

Ingredients:
1 Bunch of Peanut Roots(花生根), about 200g
300g Pork Ribs(排骨)
1 Chicken Bone(鸡骨)
50-80g Soup Peanuts(花生), soaked in hot water
6 Red Dates(红枣)
1 Tablespoon Gou Qizi(枸杞子)
8-10 Stalks Of Dried Brazil Mushrooms,姬松茸(巴西蘑菇)

Methods:
1. Trim, wash, scrap and soak the peanut roots in water until the water is clear without dirts.(you need to soak in water for at least 2 hrs)
2. Soaked the peanuts andBrazill mushrooms in hot water for a while, rinse, drained then set aside.
3. Blanched the pork ribs and chicken bone in boiling water, rinse, drained and set aside.
4. Bring a pot of 1.5 litres of water to boil, add in all the ingredients and bring to boil again.
5. Transfer all to a slow cooker and simmer on Auto-Heat for 3 - 4 hrs, season with salt and served.

8 Treasure Chicken Soup - 八宝鸡汤

I am sure you heard of "8 Treasure Porridge-八宝粥", "8 Treasure Rice-八宝饭" or even "8 Treasure Chicken/Duck-八宝鸡". So for my 8 Treasure Chicken Soup-八宝鸡汤 is to add another collection to you treasure box......This soup is good to calms spirit and smooth the intestines function and clear constipation. It also promote and ease urine flow. It's a very good soup for the whole family especially for those who are suffering for minor stress. To know more information of each herbs, you can click on the Basic Chinese Herbs link.


Ingredients:
2-3 Chicken Drumsticks
20g Dried Lily Bulbs, 百合
20g Fox Nut,茨实
20g Lotus Seeds, 莲子/湘莲
20g Chinese Barley,中国薏米
10-12 Fresh Gingko Nuts,白果
3-4 Red Dates,红枣
1/2 Tablespoon Guo Qizi,枸杞子
150g Fresh Huai Shan,鲜淮山

Methods:
1. Wash, trim and blanch the chicken in boiling water, drain and set aside.
2. Wash and peel the fresh huai shan then cut into 3 thick sections.
3. Rinse and drain the rest of the dried herbs and set side.
4. Bring 1.5 litres of water to boil, add in all the herbs and chicken then bring to boil again.
5. Transfer to a slow cooker and simmer on low heat for about 2 hours.
6. Season with salt and serve.

Notes:
If you do not have fresh huai shan, then replace it with 4 - 5 slices of dried huai shan.

In this recipe, I used two types of dried lotus seeds, one with skin and one without.

Korean Chicken Soup

This Korean Chicken Soup is one of the MUST HAVE soup for the Korean during summer days. They usually stuff all the ingredients in a small chicken and double-boiled it over slow heat. But for smaller family, you also can use chicken drumsticks or pork ribs to achieve a similar taste and texture for this soup.


I find this is rather an interesting soup because of the ingredients used. Like Gingko nut, which is normally used for dessert instead of savory soup. And from the above photo you will also wonder, "Is this Soup or Porridge?". Because I used the slow cooker to simmer this soup over low heat for about 2 hours and it became slightly thicken due to the glutinous rice which will make it taste even better. But for those who prefer a clearer soup base, perhaps you can follow the cooking method below or just simmer in slow-cooker for 1.5 hrs instead. Other than gingko nut and glutinous rice, I also use a new ingredient known as Burdock(click link to find out more) which give a unique Root fragrant to this soup, which taste a bit like Ginseng.

Ingredients: (serves 2 - 3)
1/4 Cup Glutinous Rice,糯米
2 Chicken Drumsticks,鲜鸡腿
2 Medium Dried Mushroom,香菇
1 Stem Of Burdock,牛蒡
2 Cloves Garlic,蒜
8 Fresh Gingko Nuts,鲜白果
8 Fresh Chestnuts,鲜栗子
3-4 Ginger Slices,老姜片
4 Red Dates,红枣
1/2 Tablespoon Salt
3 Cup Water, 750ml
1 Stalk Spring Onion
Some Black Pepper Powder

Methods:
1. Soak mushroom till soft with 1 cup of water, cut away the stalk and retain the water for later use.
2. Wash and soak glutinous rice for at least 30 minutes, drain and set aside.
3. Wash, trim and blanch chicken drumsticks in boiling water then rinse and set aside.
4. Wash and cut the burdock into 3cm long, blanch in boiling water, drain and set aside.
5. Wash the garlic and light pound it with the back of the knife. Cut spring onion into thin slices and set aside.
6. Remove the shell and skin of the fresh Chestnut(click link to find out more on removing the shell).
7. Add all ingredients in a pot together with 3 cups of water and 1 cup of the mushroom water and bring to boil.
8. Simmer over low heat for about 20 - 30 minutes, season with salt to taste then sprinkle with some spring onion and black pepper, served.

Notes: This version of Korean Chicken Soup contain more ingredients, for those who prefer less ingredients you can also try this: Ginseng Chicken Soup With Glutinous Rice

Green Carrot & Cordyceps Soup

Last few weeks it seems abit difficult to find Green Carrot around my area. So when I managed to get hold of one yesterday, I decided to use it for this Green Carrot & Cordyceps Soup. With the Green Carrot and Cordyceps stem, this soup give up a very fragrant, refreshing and sweet taste which make you wanted to have a second refill in the soup bowl. You might want to give this a try during hot weather as it's a very good soup to clear the heats in the body.


Ingredients:
300g Pork Ribs(排骨)/2 Chicken Drumsticks
1 Medium Fresh Huai Shan(鲜淮山), around 200g
1 Medium Red Carrot(红萝卜)
1 Medium Green Carrot/Green Radish(青萝卜)
1/2 Tablespoon Gou Qizi(枸杞子)
4 Red Dates(红枣)
2 Tablespoons Foxnuts(茨实)
1.5 Tablespoons Cordyceps Stems(干冬虫草)

Methods:
1. Wash and blanch the pork ribs in boiling water, rinse and set aside.
2. Wash, peel and cut the red carrot, green carrots and huai shan into thick sections.
3. Rinse the rest of the herbs ingredient and set aside.
4. Bring a pot of 1.5 litres of water to boil and add in all ingredients, boil on medium heat for 10 minutes then simmer on low heat for about 1.5 hours.
5. Or you can transfer to a slow cooker on Low heat and simmer for 2 - 3 hours.
6. Season with some salt or chicken stock cubes and serve warm.
This is the picture of Green Carrot/Green Radish. You can find it in most vegetable stalls in the wet market. It will give out a very refreshing and sweet taste when used to make soup.

Pumpkin & Assorted Bean Soup

Remember the Cranberry Bean(click link for more details) that I had used for some of the soup recipes before. Today we are going to have another soup using these beautify peal bean together with some kidney beans and pumpkin to stew a wonderful soup of the day.

Kidney Beans-红腰豆
A dried kidney shape bean that is reddish brown in color, strong flavored and has a slight mealy (powdery) texture. The beans can be cooked as their own dish or can be added into other dishes, such as chili, casseroles, refried beans and salads. They are available dried or in cans, precooked. Kidney beans also provide large amounts of foliate and tryptophan. It also benefits the Spleen and invigorates the Stomach, expels Heat and Dampness. As with all dried beans, they should be sorted and washed before cooking. Soaking ahead of time reduces cooking time.


Ingredients:
1/4 Pumpkin(南瓜), about 300g
20 Pods Cranberry Bean(珍珠豆)
100g Kidney Beans(红腰豆)
300g - 350g Pork Ribs(排骨)
1 Medium Fresh Huai Shan(鲜淮山), about 200g
1/2 Tablespoon Gou Qizi(枸杞子)
1 Piece Of Dried Tangerine Peel, 陈皮

Methods:
1. Wash, trim and blanch the pork ribs in boiling water. Rinse and set aside for later use.
2. Wash, peel and cut the pumpkin into 4 large pieces.
3. Wash and soak the kidney bean for about 30 minutes, drain and set aside.
4. Soak dried tangerine peel till soft, then scrape off the pith.
5. Remove the cranberry bean from the pod, wash and set aside.
6. Bring a pot of 1.2 litre of water to boil, then add in all the ingredients except the cranberry bean, reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 1 hrs or until the kidney bean is tender then add in the cranberry bean and continue to simmer for another 20 minutes.
7. Or you can transfer the boiled soup to a slow-cooker and simmer on LOW heat for 2 hours then add in the cranberry beans and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes season with salt and serve.

Si Shen Dang Gui Chicken Soup - 四神当归鸡汤

I think alot of people had heard or taken Si Shen Tang before. There are actually a few version of the ingredients. You can bought those pre-packed type from any supermarket or Chinese medical hall. The ingredients inside may vary and you can add in extra ingredients to suit your needs and taste.


For this Si Shen Tang of mine, I add in Fresh Huai Shan, Gou Qizi and Dang Gui(click link for more details) to make it more effective for the blood circulation. And the Lotus seed that I used is those type with skin. Lotus seeds are classified as astringents, being sweet and neutral, and benefiting the spleen, kidney, and heart. The sweet taste and nourishing qualities of the seed are responsible for the benefit to the spleen; this helps stop diarrhea associated with qi deficiency. The astringent quality helps prevent loss of kidney essence, so the seeds are used to treat weak sexual function in men and leukorrhea in women. The seed also has calming properties that alleviate restlessness, palpitations, and insomnia.

Ingredients:
2 - 3 Chicken Drumsticks
1 Piece Fresh Huai Shan(淮山), about 150g
40g Lotus Seed(莲子)
40g Chinese Barley(中国薏米),optional
20g Fox Nut(茨实)
20g Fu Lin(茯苓)
15g Slices Dang Gui(当归), about 5 pieces
1/2 Tablespoon Guo Qizi(枸杞子)

Seasoning:
1 Tablespoon Rice Wine
1/4 Teaspoon Salt

Methods:
1. Blanch chicken drumsticks in boiling water, rinse and set aside.
2. Rinse all the herbs, drain and add in the pot with about 1.5 litres of water and bring to bowl.
3. Peel the fresh huai shan, wash and cut into thick section then add into the water.
4. When it comes to boil, add in the chicken drumsticks and let it boil for 10 minutes on high heat.
5. Transfer to slow cooker and simmer on low heat for about 2 hours then season with salt and rice wine then serve hot.

Notes: If you just want normal plain si shen tang, then obmit the Dang Gui slices and Guo Qizi.

Bitter Gourd & Pork Ribs Soup - 苦瓜排骨汤

Bitter Gourd is one of the most popular vegetables in China, Taiwan, Vietnam, India and the Philippines. Bitter Gourd, also called Bitter Melon, has an acquired taste. The bitter gourd has excellent medicinal virtues. It is antidotal, antipyretic tonic, appetizing, stomachic, antibilious and laxative.

There are a few famous dishes in Singapore that is associated with bitter gourd like ......Bitter Gourd Fish Head(炒苦瓜鱼头), Stir-fry Bitter Gourd with Egg(苦瓜炒蛋), Bitter Gourd & Pork Ribs Soup(苦瓜排骨汤). Today, we are going to have this Bitter Gourds & Pork Ribs Soup - 苦瓜排骨汤. Don't worry this soup is not that bitter as you think off... don't be afraid of the word "Bitter" Gourd.....


Ingredients:
1 Medium Bitter Gourd,苦瓜
300g Pork Ribs,排骨
6 Red Dates,红枣
1 Tablespoon Gou Qizi,枸杞子
2 Slices Ginger,老姜
1 Medium Carrot,红萝卜

Methods:
1. Wash and blanch pork ribs in boiling water, rinse and set aside.
2. Wash and cut the bitter gourd into half length wise, then remove the seeds and rub the flesh with some salt to reduce it's bitter taste.
3. Wash away the salt then cut into 1cm thick rings and set aside.
4. Wash the dried herbs, peel the carrot and cut into 1" thick rings.
5. Bring a pot of 1.5 litres of water to boil, add in all the ingredients and bring to boil for 10 minutes over medium heat.
6. Then continue to simmer over low heat for 30 - 45 minutes, season with some salt and serve.
7. Or you can transfer everything to a slow cooker and simmer on LOW HEAT for 1.5 hours.

Notes: From my mum's suggestion, she said try to choose those bitter gourd that had wide pattern lines in between and the colour is sort of light pale green then i won't be too bitter for soup. So from from her tips... my bitter gourd soup always turn out to be just nice.

Cranberry Bean, Lotus Root & Huai Shan Soup

Since I bought a pack of Cranberry Beans & Lotus Root in the weekend. I decided to try cooking on this Cranberry Bean with Lotus Root & Huai Shan Soup. Other than this 3 main ingredients I also add in some of chicken drumstick and herbs to enhance the flavour. This soup is good as it can clear intestine and promote urine.



Ingredients:
2 Chicken Drumstick
1 Medium Lotus Root(莲藕)
1 Medium Fresh Huai Shan(淮山)
15-20 Pods Of Cranberry Bean(珍珠豆)
2 Tablespoons Fox Nuts(茨实)
4 Red Dates(红枣)
1 Tablespoon Gou Qizi(枸杞子)

Methods:
1. Wash the louts root, peel and cut into thin slices.
2. Wash the fresh huai shan, peel and cut into thick sections.
3. Wash and trim the chicken drumsticks then blanch and boiling water, rinse and set aside.
4. Wash the cranberry bean pods and remove the seeds from it, rinse and set aside.
5. Bring a pot of 1.5 Litres of water to boil then rinse the rest of the herbs and add it into the water together with the louts root, huai shan and chicken drumstick.
6. Bring to boil again then transfer to slow-cooker and simmer on LOW heat for 2 hours then add in the cranberry beans and continue simmer on low heat for another 30 minutes.

Notes: If you don't have fresh huai shan, can replace it with 4 slices of dried huai shan.

Conch & Sea Cucumber Soup

This is a very light and clear soup filling with the sea conch and sea cucumber fragrant. The sea conch and carrot give out a sweet and appearling taste to this soup. You can find out more about Sea Conch & Sea Cucumber in Common Ingredients Used link.


Ingredients:
250g Soaked Sea Cucumber
30g Dried Conch slices
300g Pork Ribs
1 Large Carrot, cut into section
2 Honey Dates
2 Slices Ginger
6 Cups Water(ard 1.5 Litre)

Methods:
1. Prepare the sea cucumber, scaled with ginger and spring onion and cut into pieces.(or you can get those ready to eat sea cucumber from supermarket)
2. Rinse and scald pork ribs.
3. Peel carrot and fresh huai shan, rinse and cut into pieces.
4. Bring water to boil, put in pork ribs, dried conch slices, carrots, huai shan, honey dates and ginger slices.
5. Bring to boil over high heat for 10 minutes then remove to low heat and simmer for 1.5 hrs.
6. Add in sea cucumber and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes or then season with salt and serve.
7. Or you can simmer all ingredients except sea cucumber in a slow-cooker over low heat for 2 hrs then add in the sea cucumber and continue on high heat for 30 minutes.

Pumpkin, Cranberry Bean & Cordyceps Soup

Sick of eating and drinking of peanut soup? Why not give a try to this "Pumpkin, Cranberry Bean & Cordyceps Soup". Cranberry Beans(珍珠豆) have a nutty flavor and creamy texture. It's rounded with red specks, which disappear on cooking. These beans are a favorite in northern Italy and Spain. In Singapore, cranberry beans are known as "Pearl Beans", which is a literal translation from its Chinese name and they are sold fresh in their pods in most vegetable stalls.

For Today's soup, we will be using this special bean to stew soup with pumpkin, dried cordyceps stems and pork ribs. This soup will taste sweet and nutty because of the cranberry beans and pumpkin. Do give it a try, if you happen to see some of these beautiful beans laying around at the vegetable stall near your area.


Ingredients:
300g Pork Ribs,排骨
300 - 350g Pumpkin,南瓜
20-25 Pods Of Cranberry Beans,珍珠豆
20g Dried Cordyceps Stems.干冬虫草
4-5 Red Dates,红枣
1 Tablespoon Gou Qizi,枸杞子

Methods:
1. Wash, trim and blanch pork ribs in boiling water, rinse and set aside.
2. Wash, peel pumpkin and cut into thick slices.
3. Remove the Cranberry Beans from the Pods, wash and drain.
4. Wash dried cordyceps stems, red dates and gou qizi, drained and set aside.
5. Bring a pot of water(about 1.5 liters) to boil, add in all the ingredients except the beans, bring to boil and simmer on low heat for 1.5 hours then add in the beans and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes.(You can cook on slow cooker using low heat for 2 hours then add in the beans and continue to simmer for another 30-45 mins)
6. Season with salt and serve.

Chicken & Fresh Coconut Soup

This is my 1st time using Fresh Coconut to stew soup. So far, I had only used coconut milk and shredded coconut for making curry, dessert and keuh. Until recently I saw a few cookbooks have different recipes on Coconut Soup so I mix and match and come up with this version of my own.

Coconut(椰子肉): It is good for good for strengthens the Lungs and nourishes the Qi. So it's actually a great soup for the whole family. Saw from the News a few days ago that actually eating more coconut or using coconut oil in cooking are good for health. When you cooking this soup, you can actually smells the coconut fragrant all around the kitchen. And as you drink the soup slightly warm, you can also taste the sweetness and fragrant of the coconut in between your teethes.


Fox Nuts(茨实): It supplement the internal organs, strengthen Qi, nourish and strengthen the body. They also benefit the kidneys, promote the replenishment of Jin, tonify the Spleen and stop diarrhoea. They are effective in healing indigestion, diarrhoea, poor bladder control and leucorrhoea.

Ingredients:
4 Slices Of Bei Qi北耆
1 Tablespoons Of Gou Qi Zi, 枸杞子
8 Red Dates红枣, remove seeds
1 Small Portion Of Fresh Huai Shan, cut into sections
1/2 Fresh Coconut(椰子肉), cut into slices
3 Chicken Drumstick/Half Chicken
50g Fox Nuts(茨实)
1.5 Litres Water

Methods:
1. Wash and trim the fat of the chicken, scald in boiling water and rinse with cold water, drain.
2. Wash Bei Qi, Gou Qi Zi, huai shan red dates, fox nuts and coconut flesh and set aside.
3. Bring the water to the boil and put all ingredients in.
4. Bring to boil again for about 10 minutes, turn to low heat and simmer for 3 hours at Low heat in a slow cooker.
5. Season with salt and serve.

Notes: You can get fresh coconut at those Indian stall that selling grated fresh coconut. Ask them to remove the dark skin then cut into pieces.

Dang Gui, Huai Shan, Black Chicken Soup

Soups can actually be regarded as the source of health for any family. Due to the hot weather and hectic working schedule of most Singaporeans, it's good to have a bowl of nutritious soup at least 3 - 4 times a week. A bowl of good homemade soup will actually helps to replenish the lost of fluid, clear the body heat, uplifts the spirit and benefits Qi and etc.

Today's Soup for the dinner is "Dang Gui, Huai Shan With Black Chicken Soup"(当归淮山黑鸡汤). It moistening vtial essence, replenishing vitality and tuning up the functions of the body. As I had mention before:


Dang Gui 当归: It tastes sweet hot and of warm nature. It benefits and balances the blood, regulates menses, treats pain and soothes the intestines. But don't consume in large amount or too often as it's might be heaty for certain body type.

Huai Shan淮山: It tastes sweet and of neutral nature. It nourishes the lungs and kidneys, strengthens the spleens, stops diarrhea, uplifts the spirit and benefits Qi. Usually I used those Fresh Huai Shan instead of the dried type.

Black Chicken黑鸡: Being rich in protein, helps to supplement pneuma and enrich blood. Cooking it only after scalding ensures that the soup does not became murky.

Ingredients:
1 Medium Size Of Fresh Huai Shan, 淮山
1 Tablespoon Guo Qi Zi, 枸杞子
1 Black Chicken(黑鸡), at 600g
2 Slices Ginger
4 - 5 Slices of Dang Gui(当归)
1.2 Litres Of Water
1 Tablespoon Rice Wine(米酒), optional

Methods:
1. If using fresh huai shan, rinse and wash away the sand and dirt from the stem. Peel off the skin, wash and cut into thick 2" long Section.
2. Wash, trim and remove the skin and fats on the chicken the scald the black chicken in boiling water for a few minutes then rinse with water.
3. Place all the ingredients into the stewing pot, add rice wine and boiling water.
4. Place in a steamer or a pot to boil over high heat for 20 minutes, then switch to medium heat to boil for 2 hours.
5. Or you can put everything in a slow-cooker, cook on HIGH heat for 1 hours then switch to Low Heat for another 2 hours.
6. Season with some salt to your preference before serving.

Notes: If you can't find Fresh Huai Shan, replace it with 40g of Dried Huai Shan slices.

Chicken, Huai Shan & Cordyceps Soup

Sometime ago I went to this Chinese Restaurant in Marina called "店小二" and they had this "鳄鱼冬虫草药膳" which cost around S$10 for a small pot that serves 2. I remember one of the main ingredients which was claimed to be Dong Chong Xia Cao(冬虫夏草) is this Dried Cordyceps that I fond in one of the Chinese Medical Hall near my area. Although it looks different from the actual Dong Chong Xia Cao(冬虫夏草) that we used to know. But according to the shop assistant, this is the Stem part of the herbs which can be used with other ingredients to boil soup. It is so much cheaper then the original herbs which I bought for my dear son, the actual Dong Chong Xia Cao(冬虫夏草) cost about $20 for 3 pieces while a packet of this Dried Cordyceps cost only $2 and can be used for about 2 - 3 times. I also saw this herbs used widely in most of the vegetarian cookbooks. So next time when you go to the Chinese Medical Hall, maybe you can look around for this herbs which taste good for boiling chicken soup.


Although this cheap type of Dried Cordyceps can't compare much to those actual Dong Chong Xia Cao(冬虫夏草), but they do sever some of the purpose like the actual type. Cordyceps has many medicinal uses: it replenishes energy, alleviates cough, expels phlegm, relieves lower back pain and aching joints. It is truly a healthy supplement for all ages. No wonder it has always been highly valued by herbalists.

Huai Shan, Shanyao or Chinese Burdock, a totally different root known as Dioscoreae. When dried, it takes on a white chalky appearance, and is most often used in Chinese Herbal tonic soups.



Ingredients:
1 Chinese Burdock Root(Huai Shan, 淮山)
1 Tablespoon Wolfberries(枸杞子)
6 Red Dates (红枣)
2 Chicken Drumsticks/2 Chicken Breast
1 Small Carrot
1 Small Handful Of Dried Cordyceps Stems,干冬虫草(about 10-15 pieces)

Methods:
1. Peel the Chinese Burdock root and cut into thick section.
2. Peel and slice carrots into small section.
3. Blanch the chicken quickly in hot water to remove surface fat, rinse and set a side.
4. Rinse the Woldberries, Red Date and Cordyceps with water and set aside.
5. Place all the ingredients in a pot with about 1.5 litres of water and bring to boil.
6. Simmer on medium heat for about 15 minutes then transfer to a slow-cooker and simmer on High Heat 1 hour and switch to Low Heat for another 2-3 hours.
7. Ladle soup into a big bowl and serve hot with some salt if u prefer.

Notes: You will find that peeling the Huai Shan is a slippery business but once the skin is off, the root secretes a healing enzyme and it is this which makes this root so good for health.