Name: Xiang Gu Ji Tang {Chinese Chicken Soup with Shiitake} Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 5 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: one fresh cage-free chicken, 3-4 lb; 2 cups of dried shiitake; 1/2 cup Shaoxing wine; 1 small piece of ginger, organic preferred, about 15 g, thin sliced; 1 tbsp light soy sauce; 2 tsp salt, Himalayan pink salt, or sea salt; 1 lb baby bok choy; 1/8 tsp salt, Himalayan pink salt or sea salt

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Xiang Gu Ji Tang {香菇鸡汤}, or Chicken Soup with Dried Shiitake Mushroom is a beloved traditional Chinese home-style dish from the Yangtze River Delta region, home to the iconic Huaiyang Cuisine.. It features tender cage-free chicken simmered with rehydrated dried shiitake mushroom to create a deeply fragrant, comforting, and richly savory broth that is both nourishing and delicious.

Xiang Gu Ji Tang {香菇鸡汤} Chicken Soup with Shiitake

Fresh cage-free chicken is the key to an authentic Xiang Gu Ji Tang {Chinese Mushroom Chicken Soup}

Using fresh cage-free chicken is essential for this soup – the meat is leaner, more tender and far more flavorful. The soup’s iconic golden hue of the soup also comes from the quality of the fresh chicken.

Ingredients for Xiang Gu Ji Tang {Chicken Soup with Shiitake}

Shiitake Mushroom Fun Facts

Known in Chinese as “Xiang Gu” {香菇}, a name that literally means “fragrant mushroom” or “delicious mushroom”.

The character “Xiang” (香) truly illustrates the subtle complexity of the Chinese language — its meaning shifts with context, and it often conveys a deeper cultural and sensory significance than a single English word can capture.

In the context of food, “Xiang” (香) evokes the irresistible, mouth-watering yumminess of something perfectly cooked. In another context, it can describe a delicate floral fragrance — a scent so pleasing that it seems to relax the whole body as you breathe it in.

Dried shiitake fully lives up to the name “Xiang Gu” – it is both deeply flavorful and wonderfully fragrant. It is an ancient and widely loved mushroom in China. Dried shiitake is especially common because it stores well and develops a deeper flavor over time.

Shiitake mushrooms have a powerful, distinctive aroma, especially when dried. For this reason, dried shiitake is preferred for this soup because it produces a richer, more complex favor. However, dried shiitake are often very firm and dehydrated, so be sure to soak them in plenty of water at least 6 hours before cooking to fully re-hydrate and soften them.

re-hydrated dried shiitake vs. dried shiitake

Not only are shiitake mushroom are delicious, they also offer impressive health benefits. They are low in calories, and high in fiber, and rich in vitamins and minerals. Shiitake also contains compounds known to support the immune system and help lower cholesterol.

In addition, research shows that shiitake provide many of the same amino acids found in meat. It’s no wonder that shiitake is an essential ingredient in traditional Chinese Buddhist vegetarian cuisine.

rehydrated shiitake vs. dried shiitake mushroom

How to make a Delicious Traditional Chinese Xiang Gu Ji Tang {Chicken Soup with Shiitake}?

Tip No. 1: Prepare Ingredients Properly

Start with high-quality ingredients. Fresh cage-free chicken is essential – it’s what gives the soup its rich flavor and tender texture. Use good-quality dried shiitake mushrooms, and soak them in plenty of water for at least 6 hours before cooking to fully rehydrate and soften them.

Tip No. 2: Save the Shiitake Soaking Water Tip No.2 is to save the dried shiitake soaking water

Don’t discard the water used to soak the dried shiitake mushrooms. This flavorful liquid will be added to the stockpot to create a rich, aromatic broth.

Tip No.3: Simmer the Chicken Broth properly – the Key to Tasty Xiang Gu Ji Tang

For a fresh cage-free chicken that weighs between 3-4 lb, an 8-quart stockpot works perfectly. When it comes to the pot itself, a clay pot, cast-iron pot, or high-quality stainless steel stockpot is ideal. These pots retain heat evenly, allowing the broth to develop a rich, balanced flavor.

Fill the stockpot with about 70% full with water, and add the reserved shiitake soaking liquid. Add 1/2 cup Shaoxing wine and sliced ginger, and bring the mixture to a boil. Carefully add the whole chicken, and then reduce the heat to gentle simmer. Let it slow-cook for 1 1/2 hours.

The Shaoxing wine and ginger really help bring out the natural savory flavors of the fresh cage-free chicken, creating a deeply fragrant and delicious broth.

Cooking Chicken Soup with Shiitake in the Stockpot

Tip No.4: Add Rehydrated Shiitake Later

After simmering the chicken broth for 1.5 hours, add the rehydrated shiitake mushrooms into the pot, along with a splash of light soy sauce and a pinch of salt. Increase the heat to medium-high, bring the soup back to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.

Optional: Add Blanched Baby Bok Choy to the Serving Bowl

While it’s optional, I like to add balanced Bok Choy to each serving of the chicken soup. It adds vibrant color, a pleasant texture contrast, and extra nutrition. The leafy greens also help lighten up the soup further – not chat cage-free chicken broth is greasy, but the Bok Choy adds a refreshing touch.

Blanch the baby bok choy separately, and place it directly in the serving bowls before lading in the chicken and broth.

Xiang Gu Ji Tang 香菇鸡汤 {Chicken Soup with Dried Shiitake Mushroom}

Xiang Gu Ji Tang {Chinese Chicken Soup with Shiitake} Recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes

Xiang Gu Ji Tang {香菇鸡汤}, or Chicken Soup with dried shiitake mushroom is a beloved traditional Chinese home-style dish. It features tender cage-free chicken simmered with rehydrated dried shiitake mushroom to create a deep fragrant, comforting, and richly savory broth that is both nourishing and delicious.

Ingredients

one fresh cage-free chicken, 3-4 lb
2 cups of dried shiitake
1/2 cup Shaoxing wine
1 small piece of ginger, organic preferred, about 15 g, thin sliced
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp salt, Himalayan pink salt, or sea salt

optional add-on:

1 lb baby bok choy
1/8 tsp salt, Himalayan pink salt or sea salt

Instructions

Prep Work:

Rinse the dried shiitake mushrooms, then then soak in plenty of water for at least 6 hours. Reserve the soaking liquid - it will be used later to flavor the soup.
Rinse cage-free chicken thoroughly, trim away any unwanted parts such as excess fat, the tail end ("parson's nose), and toenails and set aside.
Wash and rinse baby bok choy well, trim off the root end, then slice each head vertically in half. a

Make the Chicken Broth:

Fill an 8-Quart stockpot with about 70% full with water, and then add teh reserved shiitake soaking liquid. Add the Shaoxing wine and ginger slices, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, about 20 minutes.
Carefully add the cage-free chicken to the pot. Reduce the heat to low to simmer and cook slowly for about 1 1/2 hours.

While the soup is simmering, blanch the baby bok choy. Fill another pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add the prepared baby bok choy and cook until the water returns to a boil. Remove them with a spider strainer, transfer to a plate, sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt, toss to coat, and set aside.
After 1 1/2 hours slow simmering, add the re-hydrated shiitake mushrooms to the stockpot, along with the light soy sauce and salt. Stir gently with a bamboo spatula to combine.
Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low or simmer and cook for additional 15 minutes.

Serve Chinese Chicken Soup with Shiitake:

Carefully remove the chicken from the soup and place it on a plate. The soup will be very hot, and the meat may fall off the bones - that's perfectly fine. The goal is simply to remove teh bones and skin before serving.
Place 2-3 baby bok choy in each serving bowl, add some chicken meat from the plate, and ladle the shiitake chicken soup over the top. Enjoy this deeply comforting and wonderfully savory Chicken Soup with Shiitake.