Silken Chicken Soup with Conch and Red Dates ｜ 烏雞螺頭紅棗湯

Although I moved to Canada for more than ten years, I still have the habit of making soup at least every two week. Vegetable based soup in summer time, and meat based soup in winter time. Soup sometimes can even be a full meal for us, we eat the soup and everything inside it.

If you are hesitate to eat silken chicken because of the dark looking skin, please don't be. Compare to pork and chicken, black silken chicken contains the highest protein, which helps boost up immune system. It is for sure a valuable source for nutrient in winter.

Silken Chicken Soup with Conch and Red Dates

烏雞螺頭紅棗湯

INGREDIENTS:

1 Silken Chicken, medium size

5 Chinese Red Dates, pit removed

4 pcs Conches

8 pcs Chinese Yam, dried

8-10 pcs Longan, dried

4-5 pcs Ginger Slices

Salt to taste

DIRECTION:

1. Bring about 7 cups of water to a boil over high heat.

2. Add all ingredients except the salt. Bring it back to boil again. Then reduce the heat to medium. Continue to boil for another 1.5 hours, adding water if necessary.

3. Finally, add salt to taste.

Conch, Chestnut, and Pork Bone Soup (instant pot)｜粟子螺頭豬骨湯 (壓力煲)

INGREDIENTS:

8 Conches, dried

20 Chestnuts (I used frozen)

4 Pork Bones

3 Sweet Dates

5 Chinese Yam, dried

2 tablespoons Goji, dried

10 Longan, dried

Salt to taste

材料：

8 隻  乾螺頭

20 粒  粟子 (我這兒用上急凍)

4塊  豬骨

5 片  淮山

2 湯匙  杞子

10 粒  龍眼乾

鹽調味

DIRECTION:

1. Rinse dried conches under running water.

2. Rinse pork bones under running water to remove the small bone pieces.

3. Crack open dried longans and remove the sweet flesh; discard the shells.

4. Prepare the goji.

5. Prepare dried Chinese Yam and sweet dates.

6. Add all ingredients in the instant pot.  Close the seal.  Set up "high pressure" for 30 minutes.  When it is finished boiling, allow it to release the pressure naturally.

7. Enjoy when it is hot.

Conch, Lotus Root, and Pork Bone Soup | 螺頭年藕排骨湯

Last time when my parents came visit, they brought us a bag of dried conche from Hong Kong.  Compared to fresh conches, dried conches have a stronger umami flavour, and they are saltier and chewier.  People generally use them only to flavour soups.  Fresh conches are much tender and sweeter, so people like to add them to the soup along with the dried conches to boost the flavour.

In this recipe, I didn't use fresh conch.  However, I added pork bones and extra carrots to bring up the richness.

I try to keep up with making soup at least once a week for my family, and this soup is the best choice for this bitterly cold Sunday. 

INGREDIERNTS:

6 Conches, dried

1  Lotus Root, about 200 gram

4 Carrots

6 Pork Bone

4 Dates

2 tablespoons Apricot Kernels

7 cups Water

Salt to taste

材料：

6 隻  乾螺頭

1 節  年藕，約200克

4 條  甘筍

6 塊  豬骨

4 粒  蜜棗

2 湯匙  南北杏

7 杯  水

鹽  調味

DIRECTIONS:

1. Rinse the pork bones under running water to remove the small bone pieces; drain.

2. Peel off the skin of the lotus root and cut the root until bite size.

3. Rinse apricot kernels and conches.

4. In a pot, add all ingredients except salt.  Fill the pot with enough water to cover all ingredients; about 7 cups.  Add more water if needed.

5. Bring the water to a boil, and then continuously boil it over medium-high heat for 45 minutes.  Turn off the heat.  Season the soup with salt to taste.

步驟：

1. 洗淨豬骨。

2. 年藕去皮，切小件。

3. 南北杏和乾螺頭沖水。

4. 除卻鹽，將所有材料放進湯窩。 把水用大火燒滾後轉中大火，再繼續煲45分鐘。關火，下鹽調味。

Apple Conch Soup | 蘋果嚮螺湯

Apple conch soup is good for a sore throat or dry cough.  The sweetness in the apples gives a nourishing effect for the throat while the soup provides the fluid the body needs.  After all, it is also a very tasty recipe.

Apple Conch Soup | 蘋果嚮螺湯  

Ingredients:

300 gram Pork

4 Apples

100 gram Sliced Conch

10 gram Chinese Almonds

材料：

300 克   豬肉

4 個   蘋果

100 克   嚮螺片

10 克   南北杏

DIRECTION: