Water cress soup

Watercress soup is cooling therefore is ideal for very hot weather. It is also recommended for those living in polluted air environment, smokers and people that inhale second-hand cigarette smoke as this soup is very effective in cleansing our lungs of toxins. 

Watercress (西洋菜 meaning Vegetable from the Western Ocean) is related to mustard and is one of the strongest-tasting salad leaves available. It is a semi-aquatic perennial plant which means the green hollow shoots of watercress float on top of water, and the cress leaves grow on either side of the stem. It has a slightly bitter, peppery, tangy flavour and is highly nutritious, containing significant amounts of vitamins A, C, K and E as well as the minerals iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, manganese, iodine, and zinc. Because of its high iodine content, it is thought to have a strengthening effect on the thyroid gland, making it beneficial for sufferers of hypothyroidism. According to traditional Chinese medicine, watercress is cooling and lubricates the lungs, so it is an excellent remedy for cough, sore throat, upper respiratory inflammation and even bad breath.
Ingredients 

1 bunch of water cress

1 chicken carcass

Separate the leaves from the stems

Soak the stems in salt water for 30 minutes

Blanch the chicken to remove the scum

Wash the dates, kei chi and yuk chuk

Put the chicken, water cress stems, dates, kei chi and yuk chuk into the slow cooker

Cook on auto for 4 hours

Remove the cooked stems from the soup

Put the washed leaves into the soup and cook on low for 1 hour

The leaves will turn yellow if you cook it with the pot covered

This is what you do if you want the leaves to stay greenish

Before adding the leaves transfer the soup to a pot suitable for cooking on the stove

Add the leaves and bring to a boil then lower the fire to low

Cook uncovered until the leaves are cooked