5 from 6 votes
Herbal Chicken Soup
Herbal Chicken Soup (Ga Ham Thuoc Bac) is not only delicious, but it can also warm and heal your body. It will provide you with energy to fight off illnesses in colder months. An easy one-pot recipe with health benefits.
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
Servings:
1
people
Calories:
1115 kcal
Course:
Main Course, Soup
Cuisine:
Vietnamese
Ingredients
- 1 cornish hen (about 1.5-1.75 lbs)
- 0.7 oz Astragalus root about 4 slices
- 0.7 oz Chinese yam about 6 slices, dried
- 0.4 oz angelica sinensis (about 2 slices)
- 0.3 oz Goji berries (1 1/2 tablespoons)
- 4-8 red date depending on their size, seeds removed
- 2 1/2 cups coconut juice juice from about 2 young coconuts, or substitute with water, fresh young
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- ginger 2-inch piece
- 5 garlic large cloves, peeled
- scallion thinly sliced
Instructions
- Rinse all herbs (astragalus roots, dried Chinese yams, angelica sinensis, goji berries and red dates) under water to remove dirt. Soak in water for 5-10 minutes, then drain and set aside.
- Rub cornish hen with a lot of salt and rinse under water to clean it. Or you can parboil it in boiling water for 1-2 minutes.
- In a clean pot, add cornish hen, ginger, garlic, coconut juice and water. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam. Reduce heat to a simmer and add all the medicinal herbs and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt (or to taste).
- Gently simmer for 60 minutes, or to desired strength of the soup and tenderness of the chicken. If you use a larger chicken, you may need to increase cooking time.
- Serve hot and garnish with sliced scallions.
Cup of Yum
Notes
- If you cannot find cornish hens, you can also use regular chicken or chicken parts with bones.
- The longer you simmer, the darker the soup will be and the medicinal herbal flavors will also be stronger. The soup can be simmered up to 2 hours. You may want to taste the soup throughout the cooking process and stop when you're happy with the flavors.
- You can also tweak the ratio of coconut juice and plain water depending on how sweet and how much coconut flavor you like. I like 1-2 parts of coconut juice to 1 part of water. The soup is still delicious with just water.
- You can eat the soup on its own, with rice or with noodles.
- This recipe can serve 1-2 people.
Nutrition Information
Calories
1115kcal
(56%)
Carbohydrates
48g
(16%)
Protein
83g
(166%)
Fat
64g
(98%)
Saturated Fat
19g
(95%)
Cholesterol
455mg
(152%)
Sodium
4414mg
(184%)
Potassium
2806mg
(60%)
Fiber
9g
(36%)
Sugar
34g
(68%)
Vitamin A
486IU
(10%)
Vitamin C
21mg
(23%)
Calcium
242mg
(24%)
Iron
6mg
(33%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 1 people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 1115
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 1115kcal | 56% |
| Carbohydrates | 48g | 16% |
| Protein | 83g | 166% |
| Fat | 64g | 98% |
| Saturated Fat | 19g | 95% |
| Cholesterol | 455mg | 152% |
| Sodium | 4414mg | 184% |
| Potassium | 2806mg | 60% |
| Fiber | 9g | 36% |
| Sugar | 34g | 68% |
| Vitamin A | 486IU | 10% |
| Vitamin C | 21mg | 23% |
| Calcium | 242mg | 24% |
| Iron | 6mg | 33% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.