四神湯 Si Shen Tang with additional Yu Zhu and Black Beans Soup

During this period whereby I have two holes in my mouth due to my wisdom teeth removal, I was advised to drink milder soups such as Si Shen Tang with additional Yu Zhu. I was advised that this would help with digestion of solids and fluids, helping with body dampness in a way. I love this soup because it is very delicious! I love the lotus nuts especially.

Si Shen Tang with Yu Zhu

Ingredients

Si Shen Tang herbs - It comes in a package and can be purchased even from neighbourhood NTUCs.
Black Chicken - Ask the auntie selling chicken to remove the skin.
Black Beans
Yu Zhu

How to cook?

I like to blanch my chicken to remove the scum (the whitish stuff that floats on your soup if you do not blanch your meat.). I do it by pouring boiling hot water on my black chicken.

After rinsing, I put all the ingredients in a Glass pot and filled it with tap water.

I boiled it at high heat. When the soup was bubbling, I turned it to low heat to simmer it for an hour. The lotus seeds were very soft after cooking.

As black chicken can be pretty oily, it is best to sift out the oil for a healthier option.

How does it taste like?

Unlike conventional herbal soups which taste bitter, Si Shen Tang has no bitter taste at all. It is very nutty probably due to the copious amount of lotus seeds. The Yu Zhu gives the soup a very light sweet fragrance. The sweetness of the black chicken enhances the wholesomeness of the soup.