one of the most aromatic and flavorful Taiwanese soups out there. It's incredibly simple to prepare, yet packed full of nourishing ingredients. Perfect as a nostalgic comforting meal, a cold remedy, or for its soul-warmingbenefits! Full of warming ingredients like ginger, black sesame oil, mushrooms, and chicken, this dish has all the goodness you could ask for.
Boil 2 cups of water in a kettle, small pot, or microwave. Place rinsed dried shiitake mushrooms into a heatproof bowl and cover with the hot water. Place a smaller bowl on top to keep the mushrooms submerged.
2 cups hot water, 14 dried shiitake mushrooms
Heat a 4-quart dutch oven or pot over medium-low heat. Add 1 teaspoon of canola oil and the sliced ginger. Cook for 5 minutes, flipping the ginger slices halfway through.
1 teaspoon canola oil, 2 inch piece of ginger
Add in the chicken, sesame oil, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Turn up the heat to medium and add the shiitake mushrooms along with the soaking liquid followed by the rice cooking wine.
1½ pounds chicken thighs, 4 tablespoons black sesame oil, ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, 1 cup rice cooking wine
Add in the goji berries, dates, and sliced trumpet mushrooms (if using) and top off with water until the ingredients are fully submerged (about 4 cups). Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
2 tablespoons dried goji berries, 10 dried dates, 1 large king trumpet mushroom, 4 cups water
Add the yu choy or other preferred vegetable to the pot during the last 2 minutes of cooking (optional).
3 ounces yu choy
Serve it hot or warm as a comforting soup with a chicken thigh per bowl. You can also add cooked noodles to make it a complete meal.
3 ounces dried Taiwan wheat noodles
notes
dried shiitake mushrooms - Any whole dried shiitake mushrooms will work for this recipe, but my favorite type is the large plump “white flower” shiitake mushrooms (affiliate link) since they are incredibly satisfying to eat when cooked in soups/stews.substitutions:
rice wine (michiu 米酒) - Taiwanese michiu (paid link) is a must-have for this recipe. It's also available on Weee! if you can't find it elsewhere. The michiu that I use is 21% alcohol by volume, so I wouldn’t use anything stronger. For a non-alcoholic substitute, more water and/or low-sodium chicken stock or bone broth will work.
black sesame oil - although toasted sesame oil has a lighter flavor and is usually more suitable for dressings or as a finishing oil, you can use it as a substitute for black sesame oil if needed (something I do often when I'm out of black sesame oil).
chicken thighs - bone-in chicken legs or leg and thigh will work too. It's important to have the bone in since it's needed to flavor the soup. If you absolutely can't find a bone-in cut, you can use chicken thighs with low-sodium chicken stock/broth instead of water. You'll want to reduce the amount of salt at first and season to taste near the end.
optional toppings:
make it a complete meal - add your choice of noodles (cooked separately according to package instructions). My favorite noodles to serve with this soup are thin Taiwanese noodles (similar to Japanese somen) or wider wheat noodles (affiliate links). Sliced/knife cut noodles (affiliate link) also taste great in this soup.
even more nourishing - add a favorite vegetable in the last 2-3 minutes of simmering to make this a satisfying meal. Some of my favorites for this recipe include yu choy, quickly stir-fried Taiwanese cabbage, or baby bok choy.
storage - Allow soup to properly cool and store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Make sure to only add leafy vegetables right before serving since they tend to get soggy in leftover soup. I like to freeze 2-cup portions in Souper Cubes(paid link) and then transfer to a freezer-safe bag.reheat - Reheat in the microwave or on stovetop. Similar to bone broth, refrigerated soup may become jelly-like due to the collagen from slow cooking bone-in chicken thighs. It’ll turn back into liquid form after heating.
tried this recipe?Tag me @thesoundofcooking! I'd love to see what you made.