Nutritious Herbal Chicken Stew, a Traditional Healing Dish

Clean the chicken thoroughly, removing any excess fat or skin. For a cleaner broth, blanch the chicken by boiling it in water for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water.

Rinse the dried shiitake mushrooms and the herbal mix under cold water to remove any impurities. If using whole dried shiitake, rehydrate them in warm water for at least 30 minutes until soft, then stem and slice if desired.

In a large pot, add the blanched chicken, rinsed herbal mix, rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, and sliced ginger.

Pour 1.5 liters of fresh water into the pot, ensuring the chicken is mostly submerged. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.

Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer gently for 90 minutes, or until the chicken is fork-tender and the broth is deeply flavorful.

Season the stew with salt, black pepper, and fish sauce to taste. Adjust as needed to achieve a balanced savory flavor.

Ladle the hot stew into bowls, garnishing with fresh chopped green onions. Serve immediately with steamed rice or vermicelli noodles.