Chicken & Lotus Seed Soup
Submitted by cruth55
Traditional Chinese chicken soup with dried lotus seeds, black mushrooms, Smithfield ham, ginger, and sherry, thickened with lotus root powder. A refined, aromatic broth with healing roots.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
45 minREADY
1 hrsThis is the kind of soup you’d find at a proper Chinese banquet. Dried lotus seeds, rehydrated black mushrooms, julienned chicken breast, and thin strips of Smithfield ham simmer gently in a ginger-and-sherry-scented broth until every ingredient releases its essence into the pot.
Lotus root powder stirred in at the end gives the broth a subtle body without making it heavy. A garnish of Chinese parsley (cilantro) adds a bright, herbal finish.
Every element is cut into delicate matchsticks and strips, making this as beautiful to look at as it is to sip. It’s restorative, warming, and deeply satisfying.
Kitchen Tips
- Remove the reddish-brown tip from each lotus seed after blanching. This bitter core will ruin the soup’s clean, sweet flavor if left in.
- Soak the dried mushrooms for a full 30 minutes in warm water. They need to be completely soft before slicing into matchsticks. Save the soaking liquid to add extra umami to the broth if you like.
- Use Smithfield ham or a similarly pungent cured ham. Regular deli ham won’t give you the intense, salty depth this soup needs. A little goes a long way.
Ingredients
Directions
Blanch lotus seeds, remove reddish brown tip.
Wash and soak mushrooms in warm water until soft, about 30 minutes; remove stems; slice in thin matchsticks.
Before slicing celery, scrap off stringy back of stalk; slice julienne lengthwise in 1 inch sections.
Slice chicken breast and Smithfield ham (or other pungent pressed ham) in 1 inch strips.
Heat stock in 3-quart pan or sandy pot.
Add ginger, sherry, sugar and salt.
Bring to gentle boil, then add lotus seeds, chicken and mushrooms.
Simmer soup for 30 minutes. Add celery and ham.
Simmer for another 15 minutes.
Mix lotus root powder with a little hot stock, then stir into soup.
Transfer to heated serving bowl, or serve in sandy pot.
Garnish with Chinese parsley.
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