Nourishing Chicken Soup with Shiitake Mushrooms and Red Dates

Rinse chicken pieces with salt and rice wine. Parboil in boiling water with crushed ginger for 2 minutes to remove impurities. Drain and rinse under cold water.

Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water for 15 minutes until plump, then trim stems. Rinse red dates, lotus seeds, and goji berries.

Place chicken into a stockpot with 1.8 liters of cold water, bruised ginger, shallots, and daikon radish rounds. Bring to a boil, skim off foam, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.

Add rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, red dates, and lotus seeds into the pot. Continue to simmer over low heat for another 20 minutes until lotus seeds become tender.

Season broth with 1 tbsp sea salt, 1 tsp rock sugar, and 1 tbsp bouillon powder. Stir in goji berries during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Garnish with chopped scallions and cilantro before serving hot.