Post-partum Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

1 TBSP olive oil
3 pounds chicken pieces (drumsticks, thighs, etc or chopped from ½ chicken)
8 cups water
A pinch of salt
1 piece of fresh ginger that is an itch thick – make thin slices
10 grams dang gui
20 grams astragalus (huang qi)
1 TBSP goji berries (gou qi zi)
6-8 pieces of jujube fruit (da zao) – take out the seeds
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 medium onion diced
2 TBSP rice wine
2 medium sized carrots – cut
2 medium size celery stalks, cut into slices

DIRECTIONS:

  1. In a large soup pot, heat olive oil until hot.
  2. Add ginger, sauté for 1 minute, then add garlic and sauté for 1 minute, and then add onions until opaque.
  3. Add the chicken and salt sauté for 5 minutes.
  4. Add water and bring to a boil. Skim off any excess oil or fat.
  5. Tie the ginger, dang gui, and astragalus together in a piece of cheesecloth (just place the herbs in the center and tie the ends.) This will make it easy to remove the herbs later.
  6. Add the cheesecloth bag of herbs, goji berries, Chinese red dates, and wine to the pot. Bring back to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered with the lid slightly ajar, for about 30 minutes. Skim off any excess oil or fat.
  7. Add the carrots and celery to the soup and cook for another 10-15 minutes.
  8. When the soup is done, remove the bag of herbs.
  9. Add a little salt and pepper to taste.
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