How to Cook Chinese White Radish Soup

Ingredients

• 300 grams chicken whole leg (skinned and cut into pieces)
• 1 white radish (200grams)
• 8 red dates (soak them to soften)
• 1 tablespoon white peppercorns (or ground white pepper)
• 1 tablespoon goji berries (soaked in cold water till plump
• 1500 ml water (equivalent to 6 cups)
• 1 teaspoon of salt to taste)

Instructions

1. Peel the Chinese white radish with a vegetable peeler first. Trim and discard the tip and end. Then cut it into chunks and set them aside.
2. Wash the chicken meat, trimming away excess fat and chop it into smaller pieces. Blanch the chicken pieces ina pot of boiling water to remove the scum. Set them aside.
3. Rinse the red dates and clean them with water. Use a small pairing knife to create a few slits for each one at one end of the red dates. This will enable them to release flavour and nutrients into the soup.
4. Then rinse and soak dried goji berries in water for a few minutes untill they have softened. Drain and set aside. 
   
   
   
5. If you are using white peppercorns, simply crush them and set aside. Otherwise just add 2 or 3 dashes of ground white pepper.
6. Heat up about 6 cups of water water to cook the soup.
7. While the water is boiling, add the chicken pieces, chunks of radish, red dates and rehydrated goji berries.

   

   

   
   

   

   

   
   
8. Lastly, add in lightly crushed whole white peppercorns. Bring it to a rapid boil. Leave to boil for about 15 minutes. Then cover, turn the heat down to low and allow it to simmer for about 2 hours. 

   
   
9. Simmer it untill the chicken meat pieces turn tender and the soup is reduced to about 5 cups. Then season it with salt to taste. Stir to mix well. Turn the heat back up and bring the soup to a boil before turning off the heat.