Duck and Wild Herb Nourishing Soup

Duck and Wild Herb Nourishing Soup

　　Ingredients: Mountain yellow bamboo, lobelia, pulian salt (folk herbs); usually available at herb shops.

　　 A few pieces of dried shiitake mushrooms (highly recommended to enhance the soup’s flavor); a small handful of goji berries; about ten red dates; duck meat;

　　 Step one: Clean folk herbs such as mountain yellow bamboo, lobelia, pulian salt, and daqing, then simmer them in water to extract half a pot of broth (the resulting liquid is dark brown with a fragrant herbal aroma). Remove the roots and retain the broth.

　　 Step two: Sauté the duck meat in a pan, adding a small amount of rice wine (homemade farm-brewed preferred), or cooking wine can also be used. This helps enrich the meat’s flavor. Then add a little salt (not too much—just a pinch or none at all).

　　 Step three: Add the extracted wild herb broth, goji berries, red dates, shiitake mushrooms, and angelica root to the meat, and begin simmering. Remember to use high heat to prevent excessive evaporation of the broth.

　　 Step four: Cook until the meat is fully tender. At this point, you may add a small amount of salt and MSG (usually omitted in Gutian wild herb soups to accommodate those not accustomed to it).

　　 Step five: A delicious and aromatic bowl of Duck and Wild Herb Nourishing Soup is ready.

　　It has the effects of cooling the body, detoxifying, dispelling wind and dampness, and enriching the blood.