Coconut, Fresh Lily and Silkie Chicken Soup (Ye Zi Xian Bai He Zhu Si Ji Tang)

Why people make this soup

Fresh lily bulbs have an almost ethereal quality — delicately sweet, clean-flavored, and genuinely lovely in both sweet soups and savory broths. When combined with the natural sweetness and richness of fresh coconut and the deeply nourishing quality of silkie chicken (renowned in Cantonese cooking for its particularly rich, non-heating tonic properties), the result is a soup that feels genuinely restorative. In traditional food-therapy thinking, this combination supports the spleen and stomach’s ability to generate fluids — which underpins good skin, energy, and moisture throughout the body. It is particularly valued for those who feel dry, tired, and low-appetite — the classic signs of qi and yin deficiency.

Method

1. Crack open the coconut and reserve all the coconut water. Cut the flesh into chunks.
2. Wash the fresh lily bulb, separating it carefully into individual petals.
3. Clean the silkie chicken; chop into pieces and blanch briefly in boiling water to remove impurities. Discard blanching water and rinse.
4. Place all ingredients (including the coconut water) in a large pot and add enough water to total 2.4 L.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours until the soup reduces to approximately 1.2 L.
6. Drink the soup and enjoy the chicken, coconut flesh, and lily petals. Season lightly with salt if desired.

Nourilo’s Tips

This soup is naturally sweet and lightly fragrant — no added sweetener is needed. If fresh lily bulbs are unavailable, substitute 37 g of dried lily bulbs soaked first. Silkie chicken from local markets can vary in quality; aim for smaller birds or certified organic varieties. Canadian-imported organic silkie chicken has been tested and found to be good quality. The best variety is the “kang bao ji” (康保鸡) — a cross between silkie and local breeds — which has black feet and a particularly nourishing quality, available by pre-order from some specialty stalls.