Chinese clear chicken soup using old chicken.


 

What is clear chicken soup?

Clear chicken soup is the only soup I grew up with.
No cream was added, and no coconut milk was used either!

Malays, Chinese, and Indians in Malaysia have their own unique way of cooking nourishing chicken soup for the family.
The Malay chicken soup would have lots of aromatics, fresh herbs, and spices.
The Chinese will add dried herbs and roots to the pot of soup.
The Indians prepare a chicken soup that is almost similar to the Malays' soup, with different spices and aromatics!

This is one of my family's favourite clear chicken soups.
This clear chicken soup is common in Malaysian Chinese households.

What is a clear chicken soup made of?

The ingredients for this clear chicken soup are as follows
a) Old chicken, also known as layers in Australia or broiler in the UK.
b) Raw peanuts
c) Lotus roots
d) Chinese white radish (optional)
e) Ginger


Raw peanuts.
Soak raw peanuts overnight.
Do not discard the skin.

Peanuts will not be soft (if not soaked overnight), after hours in the slow cooker.


Slices of lotus roots are a common addition to Chinese chicken soup.

I cleaned the inside of the old chicken, removed the skins, and cut it into quarters to fit into my slow cooker.

How to cook clear chicken soup?

This is the easiest and least messy way to make homemade chicken soup.



Place all the ingredients in a slow cooker (crockpot).
Add water to cover the chicken.
Cook on HIGH for 6 to 8 hours.



After 6 hours or more, you have a tasty clear chicken.
Serve with steamed rice.