Soup Name: Arrowroot and Water Chestnuts in Chicken Soup

Traditional Chinese Name: 馬蹄粉葛雞湯 (mǎtí fěn gé jī tāng)

Introduction:
A great soup for nourishing the lungs, helping with coughs and reducing phlegm.  It is also ideal in the wet, stuffy spring season to remove excess moisture from the body.

1 fresh whole chicken
10 fresh chicken feet
1 peel of dried tangerine peel
1 pound of smilax root
1 arrowroot
10-15 fresh water chestnuts

How do I prepare it?

1. Cut smilax root & arrowroot into edible cubes
2. Boil a pot of water to blanch smilax root, chicken & chicken feet (don’t cut nails as it will release oils into the soup)
3. Boil soup water
4. Wash and peel water chestnuts
5. When water boils, add all the ingredients together
6. Boil on high for 30 minutes and reduce to continually boiling for another 2 hours
7. Serve and enjoy!
   

Any benefits?

Excellent soup for removing moisture from the body (especially during the Spring)
Ideal for relieving cough symptoms and removing phlegm
Helps remove some heatiness

Any precautions?

• Considered a mildly cooling soup, so women who are less than 3 months pregnant should take caution
• Smilax root must be blanched in boiling water thoroughly clean them