Herbal Soup (Ren Shen Dun ‘Ji’ Tang)

If you enjoy herbal soup, here is one that improves complexion, stamina and helps to rejuvenate the body. Instead of using mock meat, you may want to use king oyster mushroom or lotus root or the combination of both for this soup. Alternatively, just boil the herbs and season to taste with salt. There are many herbal soup packs in the market, some come in sachet (in powder form sachet) and some are real herbs. Just remember to check the ingredients, for some using flavour enhancer which might derive from dried fish or seaweed.

Preparation: 5 mins, Cooking time: 55 mins

Ingredients (serves 4)
° 1 packet herbal soup (FairPrice - Ren Shen Dun Ji Tang)
° 1.5 litres water
° 100g king oyster mushroom, sliced or cut into chunks
° 100g lotus root, peeled and thinly sliced
° salt, to taste
° pepper (optional), to taste
° a small handful fresh chopped spring onion or coriander leaves (optional), for garnish

Method
1. Place all the ingredients and water in a pot. Bring soup to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes or until all the lotus root and king oyster mushroom are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Ladle the soup into individual serving bowls, garnish with spring onion or coriander leaves and serve hot.