Chicken Soup with Dried Scallops and Mustard Greens

Steps

1. 1

   Rinse the dried scallops and soak them in rice wine or water until softened; soak for about half an hour. Do not discard the soaking liquid—add it to the soup along with the scallops later.

2. 2

   Wash and cut the mustard greens into pieces, separating the stems and leaves. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Blanch the stems for about 20 seconds, then add the leaves and blanch for about 10 seconds. Remove them and immediately place them in cold water to cool, then drain and set aside. This step helps remove the bitterness of the mustard greens and preserve their color.

   Start 20-second timer
3. 3

   Cut the chicken into pieces and place them in a pot of cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and blanch for about 3 minutes to remove blood and impurities. Remove the chicken and rinse it with cold water; set aside.

   Start 3-minute timer
4. 4

   In a separate soup pot, add about 2000–2200 ml of water, the ginger slices, the softened dried scallops, and their soaking liquid.

5. 5

   Add the blanched and rinsed chicken to the soup pot, then add the rice wine. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15–20 minutes.

   Start 20-minute timer
6. 6

   Add the blanched and drained mustard greens. Continue simmering over low heat for about 5–10 minutes, until the mustard greens are tender.

   Start 10-minute timer
7. 7

   Before removing the soup from the heat, season with salt to taste and a pinch of ground white pepper. Stir well, then serve.