Easy-To-Make Black Chicken Soup for New Mothers

Do you love chicken? Silly question, who doesn’t? Even if it may not be your favourite protein, it is hard to resist some chicken cooking such as grilled chicken, braised chicken, or even the overly-common yet always appetising fried chicken! 

The best part about chicken is that it is such a versatile ingredient that you can create hundreds of different dishes with it! It’s true! Try to name every chicken dish there is, and you will never finish the list. Chicken wrap, sesame braised chicken, spicy chicken burger, chicken popcorn…etc., you get it. You just have to switch the ingredients and cooking methods based on your preference. 

Regardless, not all chickens are created equal. One group, in particular, offers more than the others. If you haven’t heard about the black chicken (no, it’s not the burnt chicken that you accidentally left for too long in the oven), you’re in for a treat! 

Black chicken is a black-pigmented chicken breed with distinguishable black or white feathers. You may recognise this breed by their fur-like feathers and, of course, the black meat.

“Is black chicken soup heaty?”

As a meal, many people regard black chicken soup as a heaty food. This makes it great for new mothers who seek warmth in clothes or under a blanket and from their daily meals. How does black chicken taste? Despite the look, it tastes just like a regular chicken. There isn’t much difference, and if you eat without looking, you may be unable to tell it’s black chicken. Since taste is out of the question, you may still wonder what makes it different from the other chickens. It can’t just be the look, right?

Why Black Chicken Is Good for Mothers in Confinement

Well, the black chicken soup benefits are abundant!

Its reputation was strengthened as mothers began incorporating black chicken soup into their confinement diet. Such a source of protein is generally taken to hasten the postnatal recovery. This chicken continues being prized reputedly since the seventh century until today. Judging from the high nutritional value and medicinal benefits, we believe it doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone!

Cooking up confinement food is often associated with a long list of herbs for ingredients and a long preparation time. If those are exactly what you do not want to deal with to prepare black chicken soup, this recipe is for you. 

We dug for the easiest recipe (with only FIVE ingredients) of the nourishing black chicken soup that would take less than half an hour to make, and here it is!

Simple Black Chicken Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

• Whole black chicken
• Several garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 inch of ginger, sliced 
• Dry shiitake mushrooms (amount up to your liking), reconstituted in warm water 
• Aged salted turnips, sliced

Preparations:

• Blanch the chicken for a minute or two to get rid of any impurities
• Set the chicken aside
• Add a bit of oil to a dry pot
• Sauté all ingredients except the chicken for one to two minutes
• Add the black chicken and a generous amount of water into the pot
• Bring to a boil and cover with the lid
• Let the soup simmer until the chicken is done

Credit: Angel Wong’s Kitchen

As a new mother who is healing from childbirth, you can benefit more through this dish by modifying the black chicken soup recipe for confinement period. For one, you can include other herbs to add heaty properties to the food. You can also add in any other ingredients that will add to the flavours and benefit you in improving blood circulation and producing your milk supply.

Needless to say, finding the right herbs and ingredients for new mothers can be tough as you not only have to consider the health benefits but also make sure the taste will match. It may take several experiments and going back and forth to the shops to find the right ingredients to put inside your dishes like this black chicken soup. Not very keen on going to such great lengths? We’ve got it all covered for you! 

Tian Wei’s Black Chicken Soup

Our Polygonum Multiflorum Black Chicken Soup is packed with herbs that nourish your blood and promote healthy ageing. Our black chicken soup is one of the highly-favoured soups of the mothers we serve! It is included in our confinement food which will be sent hot and fresh to your doorstep – just like it came out of your kitchen. Check out our menu or talk to us at Tian Wei Signature to know more!

Aside from black chicken soups, there are other tasty & easy confinement soup options to try out: 

Barley Mushroom Soup

A soup that’s perfect for any time of the day! Barley is rich in many beneficial nutrients. It can help lower your cholesterol levels due to the presence of beta glucan. 

Mushrooms, on the other hand, also contain fiber and is one of the limited food sources of Vitamin D which is essential for bone health and optimal functioning immune system. 

YOU’LL NEED:

• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1 cup of chopped onions
• 3/4 cup of diced carrots
• 1/2 cup of chopped celery
• 1 tsp of minced garlic
• 1 pound of sliced mushrooms (fresh)
• 6 cups of chicken broth
• 3/4 cup of barley
• Salt and pepper

STEPS:

• In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
• Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Stir fry until the onions become transparent.
• Throw in the mushrooms and continue to cook for a few more minutes.
• Add in the chicken broth and barley.
• Bring the soup to a boil and reduce the heat.
• Cover the soup and let it simmer until the barley becomes tender (approximately 50 minutes).
• Season the soup with salt and pepper.

Credit: AllRecipes

Chicken Soup

We just can’t go through a list of easy soups meant for healing without including the one and only chicken soup – a traditional Chinese soup dish!

Chicken is one of the best animal-based proteins out there. It boosts your immunity and promotes the formation of healthy bones. On top of it all, slurping chicken soup brings back those nostalgic times when our mom or grandma used to make it for us when we were down with a fever.

YOU’LL NEED:

• 1 whole chicken (cut into pieces)
• 8 cups of water
• 3 or 4 cups thinly sliced onions (medium-sized)
• 2 stalks of celery sliced crosswise (1/4 inch thick)
• 4 cloves of garlic (crushed)
• 6 pcs of sliced carrots (1/2 inch thick)
• Coarse salt

STEPS:

• Add water, chicken, and 1 tablespoon of coarse salt into a large pot and bring them to a boil.
• Skim the foam before adding in the onions, celery, and garlic.
• Reduce the heat and let it simmer (partially covered) for approximately 30 minutes.
• Set aside the chicken breasts after slicing them off the breastbone.
• Add the carrots and let them simmer (still partially covered) for about 40 minutes.
• Remove the remaining chicken pieces and set them aside to cool slightly.
• Remove the meat from the chicken bones and cut them into bite-sized pieces.
• Add in your desired amount of chicken pieces, saving the rest for the next time you make this soup.

Credit: Martha Stewart

Potato Soup

If you feel like switching your confinement diet, this soup is a great substitute for your rice, noodles, or other staples!

Potato soups are considerably lighter than most soups. However, the potatoes inside the soup would be enough to make you full for a long time. Here’s the recipe if you want to give it a go!

YOU’LL NEED:

• 2 medium-sized potatoes (peeled and diced into bite-sized cubes)
• 1 tbsp of unsalted butter
• 1 large scallion (sliced in half lengthwise with the yellow and white parts sliced as well)
• 2 cups of vegetable broth
• Fresh lemon juice (from ½ a lemon)
• Salt and pepper

STEPS:

• Heat up 2 cups of water in a pot over medium heat and let it simmer.
• Add in the diced potatoes until they become tender.
• While the potatoes are simmering, melt the butter in a separate pot and sauté the sliced scallion.
• When the potatoes in the first pot become tender, drain the water and set them aside.
• Add the tender potatoes and vegetable broth into the second pot of scallions and heat them up.
• Season the soup with salt and pepper.
• Drizzle the soup with some fresh lemon juice for a stronger flavour.

Broccoli Soup

The texture of broccoli soup is much creamier, and the taste is simply addictive. Do we still need to mention its extensive health benefits?

Well, if you must know, broccoli contains essential nutrients that will aid in recovery during your confinement period. Furthermore, it contains vitamin C, which can help improve your skin!

YOU’LL NEED:

• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 large onion (chopped)
• 3 cloves of garlic (peeled and chopped)
• 1¼ cups of frozen broccoli (chopped and thawed)
• 1 peeled potato (chopped)
• 4 cups of chicken broth
• ¼ tsp of ground nutmeg
• Salt and pepper

STEPS:

• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and sauté the onion and garlic.
• Add in the chicken broth, broccoli, and chopped potatoes.
• Bring the mix to a boil and reduce the heat. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes or until the vegetables become tender.
• Puree the simmered mix using a hand mixer or a blender.
• Pour the mix back into the saucepan and reheat it.
• Season the mix with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

Remember, depending on how you like your confinement meal and soups, you can omit or add any ingredients you want. All in all, we hope that these traditional confinement soup recipes have helped you tremendously!

Now, we know you may prefer other Chinese confinement food recipes that include those herbal soups and maybe even red dates tea (don’t even get us started on the benefits). So why not check out our confinement soup package? We offer a variety of ready-to-eat herbal soups that can help keep you warm, enhance your breast milk supply, increase vitality, and more! Just go through our website to see the different types of soups we serve for new mothers that can aid their recovery in various ways!