Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup Recipe (2024)

by Jeanette 4 Comments

This Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup is a nourishing, rejuvenating chicken soup made with Korean ginseng and stuffed with a mixture of sticky rice, dried jujube dates, chestnuts and garlic. Asian ginseng has been around for thousands of years and is used believed to help boost the immune system, stimulate physical and mental activity, lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels and reduce stress.
Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup Recipe (1)I’ve been intrigued with traditional Asian recipes recently, and this Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup is one of the simple, nourishing dishes that I prepared one chilly day. I found fresh Korean ginseng and dried jujube dates at the giant Korean supermarket, H Mart, in Hartsdale, New York. Growing up in Maryland, we had a jujube date tree that we would harvest fresh dates from using a long stick. I have no idea where my father found a jujube date tree, but I fondly remember knocking down dates each year, eating some fresh and drying the rest.

Ginseng Types and Medicinal Benefits

This was my first time trying fresh ginseng root. There are two types of ginseng – Korean or Asian ginseng (Panax Ginseng) and American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius, L.), each with different qualities. Ginseng was commonly used over five thousand years ago in China for its rejuvenating powers. The benefits of ginseng were first documented during China’s Liang Dynasty (220 to 589 AD).

Ginsengroot is used in herbal medicine in Asia and North America for various medical conditions. Ginseng is believed to help boost the immune system, stimulate physical and mental activity among people who are weak and tired, lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and reduce stress. Ginseng is bitter so it is often used in tea or broths, but not eaten.

How To Make Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup

For this Korean ginseng chicken soup, I used cornish hens and stuffed them with a mixture of ginseng, jujube dates, chestnuts, garlic and glutinous rice (also called sweet rice or sticky rice).

Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup Recipe (2)

Sweet rice, also known as sticky rice or glutinous rice has no gluten in it. It has a sticky quality that makes it perfect for stuffing poultry. My mom used to making sticky rice stuffing for Thanksgiving instead of the regular American bread stuffing.

Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup Recipe (3)

Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup Recipe (4)

To keep the soup from boiling over, keep the lid slightly ajar. I used two chopsticks to keep the lid slightly lifted above the pot, a trick I learned a number of years ago from my in-law’s caregiver who was from Shanghai.

Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup Recipe (5)

This Korean version of chicken rice soup, made with Korean ginseng, is believed to have a rejuvenating effect. This recipe was adapted from a combination of recipes for Ginseng Chicken I found in various Korean cookbooks, including Wei Chuan Korean Cuisine, The Korean Kitchen by Copeland Marks, and Dok Suni by Jenny Kwak.

To serve this Korean ginseng chicken soup, break open the chicken and divide among bowls with some soup. Sprinkle with some toasted sesame seeds mixed with sea salt and black pepper, and fresh chopped scallions. Do not eat the ginseng (it is very bitter).

Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup Recipe (6)

*There are precautions when using ginseng, including side effects and interactions with certain medications, so speak to your health provider before trying ginseng if you have any health issues or are on medication.

Print

Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup

CourseMain Course

CuisineAsian, Korean

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 2 hours

Ingredients

  • 2cornish hens
  • 1/4cupsweet (glutinous) rice
  • 10clovesgarlicpeeled
  • 2piecesginsengeach 2 inches long
  • 1/2inchfresh gingersliced
  • 7dried jujube dates
  • 6chestnutspeeled
  • 1teaspoonsea salt
  • 1scallionchopped

Sesame Salt

  • 1teaspoonsea salt
  • a fewshakesblack pepper
  • a fewpinchestoasted sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. Soak sweet rice for one hour in water; drain. Stuff each cornish hen with 3 cloves garlic, 1 piece ginseng, 2 dates and 2 chestnuts. Spoon in soaked sweet rice until full. Gently place in saucepan so cornish hens sit snugly in pan. Add ginger, remaining ginseng, garlic, jujube dates, chestnuts, and salt. Cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for 1/2 hour. Turn cornish hens over and continue to cook for another 1/2 hour.

    To serve, break cornish hens apart and serve in bowls, with stuffing and broth. Serve with sesame salt and chopped scallions on the side.

Nutrition Facts

Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup

Amount Per Serving

Calories 554

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.


Sources:

Asian Ginseng, University of Maryland Medical Center
Ginseng Health Benefits, WebMd
Ginseng: Health Benefits, Facts and Research, Medical News Today

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FAQs

Is samgyetang healthy for weight loss? ›

Samgyetang. Known as the magical chicken ginseng soup, this dish combats fatigue, lifts body energy, and restores appetite and gives you the energy to do workouts to lose weight.

Is ginseng soup healthy? ›

It's highly prized for it's medicinal benefits including boosting energy. Indeed, ginseng chicken soup is truly a comfort food that combats illness! In Asian countries, people add the traditional Chinese herbs to kick it up a notch for super-charged healing.

How to eat Korean ginseng chicken soup? ›

How to eat samgyetang. “We usually start eating the chicken first. Because it's stuffed with sticky rice and herbs, once you finish, the soup turns into porridge – so you can eat the porridge after. You can also shred the chicken into the soup and eat everything together, there's not only one way to eat it," he says.

What is ginseng chicken called in Korean? ›

Samgye-tang (삼계탕; 蔘鷄湯), or ginseng chicken soup, meaning ginseng (Kor. sam) - chicken (Kor.

Will I lose weight if I eat chicken soup everyday? ›

Eating soup may help increase satiety and help you stay full, which might allow you to eat less overall. 1 While this may lead to weight loss, there is no evidence that a soup-only diet could effectively support long-term weight management.

What do Koreans eat to lose weight? ›

The Korean weight loss diet requires you to cut foods like bread, cheese, fatty meals, soft drinks, and bakery goods. It also strictly discourages snacking in between meals. The diet focuses more on minimally processed foods that may aid in weight loss, improve your skin and overall health.

Does ginseng reduce belly fat? ›

An animal study reported that ginseng helped lose weight by changing fat production and slowing fat absorption. However, more high-quality, large-scale studies on ginseng's effect on weight reduction in humans are needed.

Is ginseng good or bad for your kidneys? ›

Intriguing new data suggest that Panax ginseng C.A.Mey. could minimize renal injury by inhibiting oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and fibrosis (Liu et al., 2020; Shi et al., 2020; Xie et al., 2020; Zhu et al., 2020; Li et al., 2021).

Why you should be careful about ginseng? ›

People with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder should not take ginseng, because it may increase the risk of mania. Pregnant or breastfeeding women should not take American ginseng. Women who have a history of breast cancer, or other hormone-sensitive conditions, should not take ginseng.

Why do Koreans eat ginseng? ›

Ginseng has been used for improving overall health. It has also been used to strengthen the immune system and help fight off stress and disease.

Should I take Korean ginseng on an empty stomach? ›

To avoid hypoglycemia or low blood sugar, even in people without diabetes, take Asian ginseng with food. People with high blood pressure should not take Asian ginseng products without their doctor's supervision. People who are ill or have low blood pressure should take caution when using Asian ginseng.

What do you eat with Korean soup? ›

Rice and banchan are typically served with a soup or stew alongside.

Why do Koreans love ginseng? ›

Panax ginseng is notable for its genus name Panax, which comes from the word Panacea, meaning “cure-all.” Red ginseng (Korean Red Ginseng) has been recognized by the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for its six functions: improving immunity, improving fatigue, improving blood circulation (by preventing blood ...

What is the difference between ginseng and Korean ginseng? ›

American ginseng is used to promote Yin energy and calm the body and to reduce the body tem- perature from a fever or hot weather. On the other hand, Korean ginseng is used to promote Yang energy, improve blood circulation, and revitalize or stabilize the natural “heat” in the body.

Is mul naengmyeon good for weight loss? ›

A healthier noodle option would be mul naengmyeon or chilled buckwheat noodle soup which has about 400 calories- just don't drink all the broth. Plus buckwheat is not better for you than wheat. Another dish that is full of calories is Samgyetang, or chicken and ginseng soup. This dish has a whopping 918 calories.

What is Samgyetang good for? ›

It too, strengthens the digestive system and provides energy during the hot and humid summer days. More specifically, during the three hottest days of the year, the three bok days, or sambok in Korean, restaurants specializing in other dishes will set up signs on the roads advertising their samgyetang menu addition.

What do Koreans drink for weight loss? ›

Green Tea (Nok-cha)

Studies suggest that the catechins found in green tea can aid in fat oxidation and improve exercise performance. Swap your regular cuppa for a comforting mug of Korean green tea to kickstart your metabolism and support your weight loss goals.

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