Vegetable chicken soup with organic pearl barley 蔬菜薏米鸡汤

This is so yummy! And it taste better with organic pearl barley which brings a smoother texture. What a luxury experience to have a bowl of warm yummy soup in a cold winter night.
这道汤非常鲜美。如果薏米用的是有机珍珠薏米就更好了，口感更滑润。在寒冷的冬日夜晚喝着一碗暖暖汤，是多么幸福的事啊！

Ingredients 食材:

half organic chicken breast (with bones, about 1 lb ), 4 organic chicken drumsticks, 3/4 cup organic pearl barley, 6 dried Chinese red dates (not sweetened), 1tbsp Chinese gouqi berry (also called fructus lych, sell at whole foods), 10 fresh chestnuts peeled, 2 carrots cut into 1 inch chunks,  1.5 corn cut into 2 inch, 2-3 dried shiitake mushroom (or fresh), 5-6 small slices American ginseng, 1.5 cup cabbage slice , 2 bay leaf, 1 tsb whole black peppercorn, 2 tsp sea salt, 5 slices ginger

半个带骨有机鸡胸，5个有机鸡腿，3／4杯有机珍珠薏米，6颗金丝枣，1汤匙枸杞，10个板栗剥开去皮，2根胡萝卜滚刀切，1个半玉米切成2厘米，2－3干香菇（新鲜也可），5－6片西洋参，1.5杯手丝卷心菜，2片月桂叶，1茶匙整颗黑胡椒，2茶匙海盐，5片姜

 Instructions 步骤:

1: Peel chestnuts (see tips). Wash well the dried shiitake mushroom and soak for 10mins and change the water soaking for 15mins, keep the 2nd time soaking water.

1：板栗剥开去皮。将干香菇清洗干净，用水发10分钟后换水再发15分钟并保留第二次的水。

2: Add water, shiitake mushroom soaking water, bay leaf, ginger slices and whole black peppercorn into a soup pot. Put the chicken breast in. I always only add water 1 time in the whole soap making process, so make sure you add enough. (I do 1 inch below the pot edge). Heat up high and turn to low for 30 mins after its boiling.

2：锅中加水，发泡香菇保留的水，月桂叶，姜片，黑胡椒。放入带骨架鸡胸。注意一次性加够水，中途不再加水。（我一般加至汤锅2厘米处）。大火煮开后调至小火慢炖30分钟。

3: Turn off stove taking the floating liquid fat out. Add Chinese red dates, gouqi berry, parley,ginseng, a little bit water if is necessary. Add 3-4 chicken drumsticks. Turn the stove on high and cook for 30 mins on low heat after its boiling.

3：关火后去除浮油。加入红枣，枸杞，西洋参和4个鸡腿。如果之前加水太少，此时可以补加。大火烧开后转小火炖30分钟。

4：Add the carrots, corn, chestnuts cooking for 20mins.

4： 加入胡萝卜，玉米和板栗炖20分钟。

5: Add salt, shiitake mushroom cooking for 20mins. Add cabbage for 5 mins. Add salt if its necessary since I cook really light. Sprinkle chopped spring onion and enjoy !

5：加入海盐，香菇炖煮20分钟。加入卷心菜煮5分钟。根据自己口味适量加盐，我一般做得味淡少盐。撒上小葱开动咯！

Tips: It's not easy to peel chestnuts. But of course some place sell frozen peeled chestnuts and you can use that. For the fresh one boil in boiling water for 5 mins and cool down with cold water for 2 mins. Have a small cut in the middle, peel from there. The skin inside should can be peeled easily but if not you can always peel with a knife.

技巧：剥板栗并不容易。如果超市有买剥好的就太幸运啦。新鲜的板栗先放入滚水中煮5分钟，然后立马用凉水冲刷2分钟。用刀在中间划1小刀，从这里开始剥。里面的皮也能撕掉，或者干脆就削皮也行。