Chicken and Lotus Seed Soup

• 1 cup chicken breasts julienne
• 12 each lotus seeds dried
• 4 each mushrooms, black trumpet
• 1/2 cup celery julienne
• 1 tablespoon ham julienned
• 2 each parsley sprigs
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 2 each ginger root slices
• 2 tablespoons sherry dry
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons lotus leaves powder

1. Blanch lotus seeds, remove reddish brown tip.
2. Wash and soak mushrooms in warm water until soft, about 30 minutes; remove stems; slice in thin matchsticks.
3. Before slicing celery, scrap off stringy back of stalk; slice julienne lengthwise in 1 inch sections.
4. Slice chicken breast and Smithfield ham (or other pungent pressed ham) in 1 inch strips.
5. Heat stock in 3-quart pan or sandy pot.
6. Add ginger, sherry, sugar and salt.
7. Bring to gentle boil, then add lotus seeds, chicken and mushrooms.
8. Simmer soup for 30 minutes.
9. Add celery and ham.
10. Simmer for another 15 minutes.
11. Mix lotus root powder with a little hot stock, then stir into soup.
12. Transfer to heated serving bowl, or serve in sandy pot.
13. Garnish with Chinese parsley.

chicken breasts julienne, lotus seeds dried, mushrooms, celery julienne, ham julienned, parsley sprigs, chicken broth, ginger root, sherry dry, sugar, salt, lotus leaves powder

Taken from recipeland.com/recipe/v/chicken-lotus-seed-soup-39817 (may not work)