Easy Soup Series : Post #3 - Chicken and Burdock Soup

It took me forever to finally realised that burdock and japanese gobo are the same thing (noob cook me).  In Japanese cuisine, gobo is popularly used as a braised, sweet appetizer of shredded gobo and carrots called kinpira gobo. I have tasted this side dish in several Japanese restaurants in PJ. 



This unremarkable, bouncy stick-like root vegetable is widely believed in traditional medicinal circles as being beneficial for blood purifying purposes, reducing diabetes, and has cholesterol lowering attributes.  It is high in fiber, calcium, potassium and amino acids.  When cooked, it has a subtle sweetness combined with a bitter, astringent aftertaste,  very similar to ginseng.  The first time I boiled this in a soup, hubby thought i cooked a ginseng soup. 

Burdock is typically sold in a single long stick, about 3ft long.  It looks like a thick whip.  You peel off the outer layer of rough skin and slice it diagonally.  Make sure to cook it soon as the pieces will turn dark very quickly. 

I like to cook the soup with chicken or pork as well as some carrots to temper the bitterness of the burdock.  This makes the taste more kid-friendly and easier for my son to consume. 

A very clear and light soup, good for the hot weather these days

Chicken and Burdock Soup

• 1 stick of burdock
• Half a kampung chicken
• 2 medium size carrots
• 5 red dates, pitted and rinsed

1.  Blanch the chicken in hot boiling water for 2 minutes, drain and set aside.

2.  Peel the burdock and carrots, and cut into diagonal pieces

3.  Boil 1.4litre of water, add in the chicken, burdock, carrot and red dates.  Bring to another boil and skim away any scum that is floating.  Turn down the fire and let simmer for about 1.5hours, stirring occassionally.

4.  Season with salt and pepper, turn off the fire and let the soup sit for about half an hour.  Serve hot or warm.