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This isn’t your ordinary chicken soup. Black chicken soup uses black chicken, a.k.a silkie chicken, mixed with healthy Chinese herbs and spices. Prepare this in a pot and indulge in its delicious soup with a rich chicken and herbal flavor.
What Is Black Chicken Soup?
What makes this chicken soup stand out is its silkie chicken, also known as silky chicken, Chinese silk chicken, and wū gǔ jī (black boned chicken).
This type of chicken has black to charcoal-colored skin, flesh, and bones. It may look different from regular chicken, but it actually tastes the same with a more gamey feel.
Moreover, it is smaller and has less meat than regular chicken. That is why this is often used in soups with herbs rather than fried chicken dishes.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TMC), this black chicken soup has been used to balance the body’s energy, boost the immune system, and support the kidneys and liver.
To make this black chicken soup recipe, I used half a chicken and chopped it into large pieces.
I mixed it with several herbs, such as pre-soaked Cordyceps flowers, American ginseng, dried Chinese yam, and red dates, to name a few. I simmered the chicken for about 50 minutes, but this can be shorter if using an instant pot or pressure cooker.
What To Know About The Ingredients
I have listed below the ingredients I used in the recipe, along with other optional ingredients for more variety. Learn about where to get them, alternatives, and suggestions.
Feel free to choose your preferred herbs and spices; there’s no need to stick to the exact ones I used.
Generally, most of these ingredients are usually found in local Chinese supermarkets. However, you may find some in the international section of a well-stocked grocery store.
- Silkie chicken: This is typically more expensive than regular chicken and can be bought in Chinese supermarkets. Get the ones that are cleaned already with the organs removed. However, you may need to remove the head and trim off the nails. Keep in mind silkie chicken is different from other types of black chicken, such as Ayam cemani chicken in Indonesia, Ancona chicken in Italy, and Swedish Black Chicken.
- Ginger slices: Ginger adds a warm and peppery kick to the soup. You can swap fresh ginger with ground ginger. Use 1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground ginger for every 1 tbsp of fresh ginger.
- Shaoxing Wine: Chinese cooking wine adds a slightly sweet and briny taste. If you don’t have cooking wine or Shaoxing rice wine, swap it with dry sherry, meat or vegetable broth, red wine vinegar, or alcohol-free wine.
- Cordyceps flowers 虫草花: This is also known as cordyceps militaris, which is a type of dried mushroom. It has a woody scent and an umami and earthy taste.
- American ginseng: This is a type of herb with a light tan color. It is slightly sweet with a mild bitter taste.
- Dried Chinese yam 山药: This can be bought fresh or dried. The dried version is typically flat and 2 inches in length. It is mildly sweet and bitter and rough in texture.
- Red dates: I used red dates, but you can also use black dates as an alternative. Red dates have a slight sweetness with a lovely caramel-like taste. On the other hand, black dates have a smoky taste and aroma. Remember, choose pitted or seedless red dates to make it less hassle to eat.
- Goji berries 枸杞: These are sweet and sour in taste, which is reminiscent of the taste of cranberry and cherry. I recommend adding this last and not at the beginning, or else the soup will take its sour taste.
- Optional ingredients: If you want to add more variety, I recommend dried scallops, dried seafood, and dried shiitake mushrooms. You can also incorporate more herbs, such as dried longan, Codonopsis pilosula, Angelica sinensis, and Sichuan lovage root.
Prepare These Ingredients And Kitchenware
Prepare a knife for chopping and a pot for boiling the ingredients. You can use an ordinary pot or a clay pot. I prefer using a clay pot for slow cooking since it is better for retaining heat and moisture.
Here are the ingredients to prepare:
- Half a chicken, about 600g
- 3 ginger slices
- A drizzle of Shaoxing wine
- 30g pre-soaked Cordyceps flowers
- 10g American ginseng
- 20g dried Chinese yam
- 10g red dates
- 3 ginger slices
- Water (to fill the pot)
- 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
- 5g goji berries
Instructions On How To Make Black Chicken Soup
The instructions are simple and easy. Simply clean and chop the silkie chicken, blanch it, and boil it with the rest of the ingredients.
Preparing the chicken may be the longest step since it requires thorough cleaning. Watch how I made this dish with my short Instagram or TikTok tutorial video.
Finished making this black chicken soup? What do you think about the taste? Let us know in the comments section and don’t forget to tag me @kitchenmisadventures to share your dishes.
- Clean the chicken by removing the nails and head, if needed.
- Chop the chicken into large chunks. Chopping it into chunks makes it easier to cook thoroughly and evenly.
- Place the chicken in cold water and add ginger slices and Shaoxing wine. Turn on the heat and bring it to a boil, then blanch the chicken for 2 minutes. This step is important to remove impurities, froth, and unwanted flavors.
- Drain the meat using a sieve. Afterward, rinse the chicken with water to clean it further.
- Place the chicken in a casserole or clay pot.
- Add pre-soaked Cordyceps flowers, American ginseng, dried Chinese yam, red dates, ginger slices, and water. The water should fill the entire pot.
- Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Once it boils, simmer for 50 minutes on low heat.
- Season with salt and add goji berries. Continue cooking over low heat for another 5 minutes. Remember, goji berries are added last and not at the beginning. If added at the beginning and cooked long, it will easily become mushy.
- Enjoy this soup while hot and freshly cooked. If you love soup, don’t forget to try Chicken Feet Soup, Beef Wontons With Soup, and Winter Melon Soup With Ribs.
How to make Chinese black chicken soup
Ingredients
- Half a chicken about 600g
- 3 ginger slices
- A drizzle of Shaoxing wine
- 30 g pre-soaked Cordyceps flowers
- 10 g American ginseng
- 20 g dried Chinese yam
- 10 g red dates
- 3 ginger slices
- Water to fill the pot
- 1 tsp salt adjust to taste
- 5 g goji berries
Instructions
- Clean the chicken by removing the nails and head, if needed.
- Chop the chicken into large chunks. Chopping it into chunks makes it easier to cook thoroughly and evenly.
- Place the chicken in cold water and add ginger slices and Shaoxing wine. Turn on the heat and bring it to a boil, then blanch the chicken for 2 minutes. This step is important to remove impurities, froth, and unwanted flavors.
- Drain the meat using a sieve. Afterward, rinse the chicken with water to clean it further.
- Place the chicken in a casserole or clay pot.
- Add pre-soaked Cordyceps flowers, American ginseng, dried Chinese yam, red dates, ginger slices, and water. The water should fill the entire pot.
- Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Once it boils, simmer for 50 minutes on low heat.
- Season with salt and add goji berries. Continue cooking over low heat for another 5 minutes. Remember, goji berries are added last and not at the beginning. If added at the beginning and cooked long, it will easily become mushy.
