Chinese Whole Chicken Soup Recipe: Comforting Chicken Soup!
Chinese whole chicken soup is a highly nutritious dish that everyone loves. But nobody likes the fishy smell or cloudy appearance of the chicken soup. After experimenting with different ingredients and steps, I have come up with this Chinese whole chicken soup recipe that is going to solve all the problems.
Only a few spices are used in this recipe, so you will get the original flavor. Throughout the steps, I will tell you how to remove the fishy smell and maintain a clear appearance. Let’s make some healthy soup today.
Table of Contents
Chinese Whole Chicken Soup Recipe Overview
Before starting the recipe, I have the key information about the recipe here. Check it out.
| Course: Side dish | Cuisine: Chinese | Difficulty: Medium | ||
| Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes | ||||
| Serving | Preparation Time | Cooking Time | Calories | |
| 4 persons | 10 minutes | 1 hour | 146 kcal | |
Ingredients Needed for the Recipe
As I have already mentioned, you will need just a few ingredients for this soup. Here is the list.
- Chicken: 1 whole chicken
- Salt: 100g
- Ginger: 50g, sliced
- Angelica: 1 pc
- Codonopsis: 2 pcs
- Chives: ½ cup
- Garlic: 1 tbsp, minced
- Sesame Oil: 1 tbsp
Let’s make a delicious bowl of soup with these simple ingredients.
Chinese Whole Chicken Soup Recipe: Step-By-Step Instructions
Cleaning the chicken properly is a crucial step in making this soup. Let’s start with that one.
Step 1: Remove Some Chicken Parts
Some of the parts with heavy smells cause this soup to have a fishy smell. Remove the toe, thorn tip, butt tip, etc., to eliminate some of the smell. Also, remove the legs and make sure the hair on the chicken head is cleaned.
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Step 2: Clean the Whole Chicken
Sprinkle about 100g of salt over the chicken and rub the chicken thoroughly. Make sure the whole chicken is rubbed to remove the fishy smell and eliminate any blood inside. After marinating the chicken with salt for about 3 minutes, wash it. Do the same thing again.
Step 3: Boil the Chicken
Take water in a large pot and let it boil. Then, add the chicken to the water. After some time, you will see some foam on top. Remove the foam to make the soup cleaner.
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Step 4: Add the Aromatics
Take two slices of ginger, one piece of Angelica, and two pieces of Codonopsis in a thin cloth and knot it like a bag. Then, put the spice bag in the boiling water. It will give the soup a lot of fragrance and freshness. Keep the heat low while simmering the soup for about one hour.
You Can Also Try: Chinese Chicken Broth Recipe
Step 5: Serve Shredded Chicken with the Soup
After one hour, remove the chicken from the soup. Take chopped chives and minced garlic in a bowl. Then, pour the soup into the bowl. Shred the chicken and take it on a plate. Then, pour some sesame oil on the chicken and garnish it with chives.
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Nutrition Facts of the Recipe
Each serving of this whole chicken soup has 146 calories. It also has the following nutrients.
- Total Carbohydrates: 17g
- Protein: 10g
- Total Fat: 2.5g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 1g
- Total Dietary Fiber: 1g
- Total Sugar: 5g
- Cholesterol: 20g
- Sodium: 880mg
- Potassium: 370mg
- Calcium: 40mg
- Iron: 1.3mg
- Vitamin D: 0.1mcg
Do’s and Don’ts of the Recipe
To make this soup the right way, you should follow these secret tips.
Do’s
- Make sure you are changing water while washing the chicken or rinsing it under running water. It is important to remove the smell.
- Keep the heat low to maintain a clear appearance. If you use too high heat, the soup will become cloudy.
Don’ts
- Don’t marinate the chicken with salt for a long time. It will draw out all the moisture and the chicken will be stiffer.
- Don’t overpower the original flavor of the soup by putting a lot of sauces or spices. Keep the seasoning simple.
Chinese Whole Chicken Soup Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Some of the parts with heavy smells cause this soup to have a fishy smell. Remove the toe, thorn tip, butt tip, etc., to eliminate some of the smell. Also, remove the legs and make sure the hair on the chicken head is cleaned.
- Sprinkle about 100g of salt over the chicken and rub the chicken thoroughly. Make sure the whole chicken is rubbed to remove the fishy smell and eliminate any blood inside. After marinating the chicken with salt for about 3 minutes, wash it. Do the same thing again.
- Take water in a large pot and let it boil. Then, add the chicken to the water. After some time, you will see some foam on top. Remove the foam to make the soup cleaner.
- Take two slices of ginger, one piece of Angelica, and two pieces of Codonopsis in a thin cloth and knot it like a bag. Then, put the spice bag in the boiling water. It will give the soup a lot of fragrance and freshness. Keep the heat low while simmering the soup for about one hour.
- After one hour, remove the chicken from the soup. Take chopped chives and minced garlic in a bowl. Then, pour the soup into the bowl. Shred the chicken and take it on a plate. Then, pour some sesame oil on the chicken and garnish it with chives.
FAQs
The following questions might come to your mind while making the soup. Don’t worry, I got you.
How long does it take to simmer Chinese whole chicken soup until the flavors develop?
It takes about one hour of simmering to develop the flavors of the Chinese whole chicken soup. If you simmer the soup for a shorter period, the soup might have a bland flavor. Also, the pulled chicken won’t be that tender. So, simmer it for at least an hour.
Are there any variations of Chinese whole chicken soup depending on regional cuisines?
Yes, there are a few variations of this soup depending on regional cuisines. In the northern part of China, people use more dried herbs to make this soup nutritionally enriched. Southern Chinese cuisine has a higher use of fresh ingredients to keep the flavor fresh.
Can I add vegetables or noodles to Chinese whole chicken soup for added flavor and texture?
Of course. You can add vegetables like carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, etc., to the Chinese whole chicken soup to improve the flavor and texture. Adding noodles will turn this into a complete meal. But if you want the original flavor of the soup, you should avoid vegetables or noodles.
Can I use soy sauce or MSG as a seasoning in this recipe?
You don’t need to use these seasonings for this whole chicken soup. Soy sauce will darken the color. Keep the seasoning simple to enjoy the original flavor.
Conclusion
If made correctly, Chinese whole chicken soup will have no bad smell or cloudy look that people hate. Removing the smelly parts from the chicken and cleaning the chicken properly change the game here. I showed everything in detail in this Chinese whole chicken soup recipe.
Give this recipe a try and serve a nutritious soup to your family. The flavors, the fragrances, and the comfort of eating this whole chicken soup is unmatched.
