Herbal Chicken Soup

My mom never visits me without making her signature herbal chicken soup. Even now, over a year postpartum, she arrives ready to prepare it with ginger, scallions, red dates, and astragalus (黄芪红枣全鸡汤). It represents her love and care for me – a warm, shimmering bowl of liquid gold. It is the ultimate comfort food.

Typically enjoyed after the initial discharge of lochia (around 4-7 days postpartum), this soup nourishes the body, supports lactation, and helps with lactation support.

By using a whole chicken and specific functional herbs, you extract the maximum amount of nutrition to support your fourth trimester. If you haven’t used a whole chicken to make broth before, you’ll find that it’s surprisingly easy!

It’s also very cost effective. You get so much soup out of one chicken. I find that I can use it to feed my family of 4 (2 adults + 2 littles) for 2-3 dinners!

The Science of a Healing Chicken Bone Broth

On its own, a properly simmered Chinese bone broth is a nutrient-dense, collagen-rich food. During childbirth, the body undergoes immense physical stress. The slow-simmering process of the bones and connective tissues releases gelatin and essential amino acids, like glycine, which directly aid in cellular repair and the rebuilding of your own connective tissues and uterine lining.

The addition of traditional botanicals transforms a basic stock into a healing chicken bone broth with functional ingredients for recovery.

Instructions

While using a whole chicken gives you the most nutritional bang for your buck, the preparation is surprisingly simple.

1. The Cleanse

In traditional Chinese cooking, cleaning the chicken thoroughly is the secret to a perfectly clear, light broth.

• Remove the internal fat and any loose skin.
• Rinse the chest cavity with cold water until it runs clear and all traces of organs near the spine are removed.
• A Clinical Note: If the chicken is organic or pasture-raised, you may save the liver to cook separately, as it is a nutrient powerhouse (Vitamin A, Iron). If conventionally raised, it is best to discard the organs, as the liver can concentrate environmental toxins.

2. Prepping the Pot

While this is a “whole chicken” soup, you don’t have to keep it in one piece. Removing the thighs and wings allows the chicken to sit lower in your stockpot. This means you need less water to cover the meat, resulting in a richer, more concentrated broth.

• My Personal Prep Tip: I usually remove the breast using a serrated knife and freeze it in a ziplock bag for another meal. The breast meat does not add much collagen or flavor to the stock, and it becomes overly tough when boiled for hours.

Place your aromatics (Dates, Astragalus, Ginger, Scallion) inside the chicken cavity for easy removal later. Add cold water until the chicken is submerged, with about one inch of water above the meat. This strikes the perfect balance—not so watery that it lacks flavor, but not so concentrated that it becomes overwhelming.

3. The Slow Simmer

Bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Carefully skim off the foam and impurities that rise to the surface.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the meat is tender and falling off the bone—about 3 hours (my mom notes 2 hours is sufficient, but I have found that 3 hours is optimal for the best flavor). If you have a kitchen thermometer, simmering temperature is around 190°F.

4. Strain and Serve

Once the soup is finished, strain the liquid and remove the bones. The broth can be served over several meals. If your postpartum appetite is low and you don’t want to eat the boiled meat, simply shred the dark meat to use later in a cold salad. Salt the broth to taste right before serving.

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