Rich Hwanggi Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup)
A nourishing hot-weather stamina soup made by simmering chicken with astragalus root for a rich broth, finished with a smooth porridge made from the leftover broth.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This nourishing stamina dish is made by simmering chicken with astragalus root, garlic, and dried jujubes for over 1 hour to extract a rich, milky broth. After enjoying the chicken soup, you can add glutinous rice and finely chopped vegetables to the strained broth for a satisfying, gentle chicken porridge.
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Cook time
- 60 minprep not included
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Large chicken1 whole
- Astragalus root (hwanggi)3 roots
- Whole garlic cloves10
- Dried jujubes10
Chicken Porridge
- Glutinous rice1 cup
- Carrota little of each
- Oniona little of each
- Squasha little of each
- Mushroomsa little of each
- Chicken broth6-7 cups
- Toasted sesame oil2 tbsp
- Salta little
- Ground black peppera little
- You can use two young chickens instead of one large chicken.
- You can use ginseng instead of astragalus root, and prepare chestnuts if you have them.
- Soak the glutinous rice in water for 2-3 hours.
Steps
1. I prepared one large chicken and cut it in half, but you can also use two young chickens. You will need 3 roots of astragalus root (hwanggi), 10 whole garlic cloves, and 10 dried jujubes.
You can use ginseng instead of astragalus root, and prepare chestnuts if you have them.
(The glutinous rice is excluded here because it will be boiled separately into chicken porridge.)
2. Add the chicken and all the secondary ingredients, pour in enough water so the chicken is completely submerged and more, and bring to a boil over high heat.
(If the chicken fills half the pot, pour in enough water to fill 2/3 of the pot generously.
If you stuff the chicken cavity with medicinal herbs and glutinous rice, the rice will not cook as quickly as the other ingredients, so put only the glutinous rice in a cotton pouch, tie the opening, and boil it together.)
Once the water boils, reduce the heat to low-medium and simmer for over 1 hour until the meat is tender and the broth turns milky.
If using a pressure cooker, the steam setting should take about 30-40 minutes.
1. Soak the glutinous rice in water for 2-3 hours.
2. Finely mince the carrot, squash, onion, and mushrooms, preparing 2-3 tbsp of each.
3. Once the pan is heated, drizzle 2 tbsp of toasted sesame oil and stir-fry the glutinous rice over medium-high heat or higher.
4. Stir-fry until the rice turns translucent.
(For a toastier flavor, I stir-fried it longer to make nurungji and let it lightly scorch.)
5. Pour in 6-7 cups of strained clear chicken broth, bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat until the rice grains swell.
6. Once the rice grains have softened and puffed up, add the carrot and simmer for a moment...
Add the remaining vegetables and simmer until thoroughly cooked.
If the porridge feels too thick, add boiling chicken broth to adjust the consistency.
Finally, season to taste with salt or ground black pepper before serving.
(Cold chicken broth takes extra time to return to a boil and will prevent the porridge from becoming smooth.)
Ppunwife's tips
- If the chicken fills half the pot, pour in enough water to fill 2/3 of the pot generously.
- If you stuff the chicken cavity with medicinal herbs and glutinous rice, the rice will not cook as quickly as the other ingredients, so put only the glutinous rice in a cotton pouch, tie the opening, and boil it together.
- If the porridge feels too thick, add boiling chicken broth to adjust the consistency.
- Cold chicken broth takes extra time to return to a boil and will prevent the porridge from becoming smooth.
FAQ
What can I use as a substitute if I don't have astragalus root?
You can use ginseng instead of astragalus root, and you may also add chestnuts to your liking.
Is it okay to use young chickens instead of a large chicken?
You can substitute 2 young chickens for 1 large chicken.
What is the cooking time if I use a pressure cooker instead of a regular pot?
If you use the steam function on a pressure cooker, it takes about 30 to 40 minutes.
How do I adjust the consistency if the chicken porridge is too thick?
Adding cold broth will keep the porridge from turning smooth, so adjust the consistency by adding warm, simmering chicken broth.
