Golden Needle (Daylily) and Black Wood Ear Chicken Soup

Why people make this soup

Two humble ingredients — golden needle (dried daylily buds) and black wood ear mushroom — combine in this classic Cantonese chicken soup to create something remarkably nourishing. Golden needle has an old nickname in Chinese herbal tradition: “forget-sorrow grass” (wang you cao), and it has long been associated with calming emotional restlessness and supporting sleep. Black wood ear mushroom carries its own reputation as a “blood purifier,” valued for supporting blood quality and skin health. Together with a slow-cooked free-range chicken, this soup becomes a deeply restorative pot that Nourilo particularly recommends for new mothers and anyone feeling run-down, pale, or cold in the extremities.

Method

1. Soak the golden needle flowers in cold water until softened. Tie each flower bud into a knot — this prevents the flowers from breaking apart in the soup and makes them easier to eat.
2. Soak the black wood ear mushroom until fully expanded. Remove and discard the tough base stalk; the rest can go in whole or torn into pieces.
3. Pit the red dates.
4. Slice the lean pork and blanch it briefly in boiling water, then drain. Cut the chicken into pieces and blanch as well; drain.
5. Place all ingredients into a pot with 3 L of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for about 1.5 hours until the broth is flavoursome and reduced to 1.2–1.5 L.
6. Serve hot, drinking the broth and eating the chicken, pork, golden needle flowers, and wood ear mushroom.

Nourilo’s Tips

This is considered a fine postnatal tonic soup — you can enhance its restorative quality by adding a splash of black glutinous rice wine (hei nuo mi jiu) just before serving. However, if you are breastfeeding, it is best to add the wine after you have finished a nursing session rather than immediately before, to minimise any transfer to your baby. If you prefer, simply omit the wine; the soup is already deeply nourishing on its own.