Make Soulful Chicken Soup with Aged Radish

It was autumn time in Hong Kong and at an outdoor event, when I first tasted this soup. The soup had deep umami flavours that I'd never tasted before! It was after speaking to the chef - who is Taiwanese - that I learnt that the aged radish ("cai po") is the secret ingredient in this soup. This is a traditional dish in Taiwan; the addition of the aged radish adds depth to the soup forming a really solid base on which the flavours of the Chicken, mushrooms pile on. 

This is definitely one of those easy soups that yield maximum results!

Ingredients:

A whole chicken ( Sakura or Kampung chicken recommended),

Garlic,

Red dates,

Mix of different types of mushrooms,

Four pieces of 7-year old preserved radish ( cai po)

Four pieces of 1-year old preserved radish ( cai po)

Instructions: 

Mix all into a pot and stew for two hours (you can also use the electric cooker or pressure cooker). Look at the golden globules of chicken essence, smell the rich aroma of mushrooms and chai po!