Dong sum, goji berries, dried longan and red dates all have very beneficial health-promoting properties. Combined together in a soup, they help to promote qi, balance the body’s yin and yang, induce calm, restore sleep, replenish the body’s blood and increase immunity.
The following recipe was given to me from a close and dear relative. Please enjoy.
Dong sum/Goji/Longan/Date Soup
Ingredients:
- 2-3 pieces of dong sum
- 1 tablespoon of goji berries
- 1 tablespoon of dried longan
- 4 red dates
- 2 poached chicken thighs (with skin removed)
- 6-7 cups of water
- salt to taste
Instructions:
- Place dong sum, goji berries, dried longan, red dates, chicken thighs in a saucepan (or ceramic soup pot).
- Add water to saucepan (or ceramic soup pot) and bring to boil at medium heat.
- Once water is boiling, switch to low heat and allow soup to boil for 1.5 (one and a-half) hours only or until soup is a light colour.*
- Add salt, if needed, to taste.
*Boiling for longer than 1.5 hours will cause soup to darken, which means there is too much protein. According to some Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors, too much protein can build up in the joints and tissues to cause soreness and in some cases, conditions such as arthritis.
With Fire and Water 