Chinese Yam Chicken Soup 淮山鸡汤

I love Chinese Yam (淮山 huai shan /山药 shan yao) and is actively looking for new soup recipes to try out.  After I found this recipe by Food 4 Tots, I've been cooking this fairly often as my kids love this soup very much.

The chinese yam sold in the supermarket nearby weigh 500g and above.  I do not want to use half of it and keep the balance so I always throw in the whole lot into the pot.

PS: I hate taking soup pictures as they are always so boring.

Chinese Yam Chicken Soup (淮山鸡汤)

Ingredients

500g chicken meat/bones

500g fresh huai shan(淮山 huai shan /山药 shan yao), peeled and cut into chunks
2 - 3 large carrots
100g yu zhu (玉竹）
2 tbsp gou zi （枸子)
20 - 30 red dates (I added in these dates to increase the sweetness of the soup)
1.5 - 2 litres water

Seasonings
2 tbsp rice wine (sometimes I use homemade ginger wine 姜酒)
Salt to taste

Method

1. Remove skin of carrots and cut into smaller pieces.
2. Rinse red dates and yu zhu, soak in water for 5 - 10 mins or till soft.
3. Blanch chicken meat/bones.
4. Bring water to boil and add all ingredients (except wolfberries) in a pot. Using medium fire, bring water to boil again and cook for 10 - 15 minutes, reduce to small flame and simmer for 2 hours. 
5. Add in the wolfberries and let it brew in low fire for another 5 - 10 mins.
6. Add salt and rice/ginger wine to taste before serving.