Bamboo Pith & Chinese Mushroom Soup

Nothing proves to be more heart-warming than to have a bowl of delicious soup at home, right?

Some 2 months back when we were back at my Mum's place for dinner, Mum cooked some nice dishes plus a pot of delicious soup that I fell in love with. I asked Mum for her recipe and cook this soon after.

Simple yet yummy and nutritious.  Hubby who is not much of a mushroom lover gave positive comments after drinking a mouthful.  Just thinking of it makes me miss the soup so much!  Okay, I must admit I am not only a soup lover, but also a mushroom lover, so this soup works for me.

Bamboo Pith & Mushroom Soup
Serves 2

10 pcs of bamboo pith (竹笙)
5 pcs of chinese mushrooms
10 pcs of canned button mushrooms (optional)
10g white fungus
8 to 10 pcs of dried scallops (rinsed)
2 tbsp of dried lily bulbs (rinsed)
A small bunch of Solomon Seal Rhizome (玉竹片) (rinsed)
1 pc chicken breast (remove fats and washed)
2 tbsp goji wolberry seeds
1.5 to 2 litres of water
Salt to taste

1. Soak bamboo pith till soften then cut both ends, remove any dirts and black specks, rinse and drain. Cut into half if you prefer smaller pieces.
2. Soak chinese mushrooms till soften and remove stalks. Cut into half.
3. Soak white fungus till soften, remove the hard centres and shred into smaller pieces, rinse and drain.
4. Place bamboo piths, chinese mushrooms,  white fungus, dried scallops,  dried lily bulbs and Solomon Seal Rhizome into a pot of water and bring to boil.
4. Bring a separate small pot of water to boil,  put in chicken breast and blanch it for about 1 min to remove oil and scum. Rinse blanched chicken breast under running water and place chicken breast into the main soup pot.
5. Bring to boil on medium high heat for about 20 to 30min then let it simmer on low heat for further 45min.
6. Meanwhile, soak goji wolfberry seeds till plump, rinse and drain.
7. Add button mushrooms and goji seeds into soup pot.
8. Add salt to taste. Serve.

Note:
- Chicken breast can be replaced with chicken drumsticks if preferred.
- Chicken breast works better if you prefer the soup to be less oily. Breast meat can be yummy too when dipped in some black soy sauce while paired with the soup.