FOOD AS MEDICINE: Grandma’s Chicken, Red Date, and Ginger Soup

FOOD AS MEDICINE: Grandma’s Chicken, Red Date, & Ginger Soup

The only thing better than homemade chicken soup is a recipe passed down with love, from generation to generation. This nourishing dish is deeply warming and makes for a hearty meal for the whole family.


Ingredients

2 to 2-1/2 pounds whole chicken or backs

1 pound chicken feet

1/2 white onion, peeled, halved

2 inches fresh ginger, rinsed, peel on, halved

3 medium carrots, rinsed, peel on, quartered

5 dried jujubes, rinsed, de-seeded, halved

3 tablespoons goji berries, rinsed

sea salt to taste

Preparation

  1. Place the chicken or backs, and feet in a large pot, and add enough cold water to just cover the chicken. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, uncovered.
  1. Once boiling, add the onion and ginger to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 40 minutes. Remove the lid occasionally to skim any foam off the top and discard.
  1. Remove from the heat. Move the chicken to a plate to cool. When cool enough to handle, shred the chicken. Return the chicken carcass and 1-2 cups of the shredded chicken back to the pot. (Save the remaining shredded chicken for another use.)
  1. Add the carrots and dates to the pot, and simmer over low heat, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Add the goji berries and cook an additional 15 minutes. Season with salt to taste.