Shiitake, Sea Cucumber and Silkie Chicken Soup

Why people make this soup

Stroke sits at the serious end of a spectrum that often begins with high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and blood that flows less freely than it should. In Chinese food-therapy tradition, the advice for supporting cardiovascular health has long centred on eating lightly — low in salt, low in sugar — and including foods that nourish yin and keep the blood fluid. Mushrooms have a strong reputation in Chinese wellness culture for supporting healthy blood lipids, and iodine-rich seafoods like sea cucumber and sea kelp are traditionally believed to discourage calcium from depositing in artery walls. This soup brings shiitake mushrooms and sea cucumber together with silkie chicken — a variety prized for its particularly yin-nourishing qualities — to make a richly flavoured, deeply nourishing broth for those who are physically weak or managing cardiovascular risk.

Method

1. Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in water until soft; remove and discard the stems, reserving the soaking water if it is clean.
2. Blanch the rehydrated sea cucumber in boiling water briefly; drain and rinse.
3. Cut the silkie chicken into large pieces and blanch in boiling water to remove impurities; drain and rinse.
4. Place all ingredients into a pot with enough water to cover generously.
5. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a medium-low simmer for approximately 2 hours.
6. Serve warm. This soup is suitable for those with high blood pressure or diabetes.

Nourilo’s Tips

When buying pre-rehydrated sea cucumber, quality is worth checking. A simple test: good-quality naturally prepared sea cucumber will shrink a little — maybe 20% — after it is blanched in boiling water. If the sea cucumber stays exactly the same size after blanching, it has likely been expanded with harsh chemical agents that can irritate the stomach lining. Such sea cucumber will also lack the characteristic pleasant aroma of real sea cucumber, and will dissolve if cooked too long rather than holding its shape. If you cannot find sea cucumber or prefer a variation, fresh burdock root (150 g) makes a useful substitute and is itself associated with stroke prevention in Chinese food-therapy. If you wish to make this without the chicken, shiitake and sea cucumber alone in broth is also perfectly suitable.