David's Recipe for Chinese Chicken and Cabbage Soup

A distant descendant of the duck and cabbage soup traditionally made from Peking Duck.

Soup, Chinese

3 quarts boiling water 1 large cabbage 3 pounds chicken breasts 1" x 6" fresh ginger A few chilies 2 large stalks celery, without the leaves 1 pound mushrooms 10 scallions 3 soup spoons warm water 3 soup spoons cornstarch Soy sauce for serving Slice the cabbage lengthwise into slices about one inch thick. Remove and reserve the core. Separate the leaves to get slices about one inch wide by a few inches long. Slice the core into thin slices. Slice the chicken breasts perpendicular to the grain into slices about 1/4" thick. This will be easier if the chicken breasts are very cold. Julienne the ginger. Wearing gloves, slice the chilis into thin rings. Slice the celery into thin slices, on a diagonal. Slice finely the white part and the lower green part of the scallions. Slice or break the mushrooms into bite-size pieces, depending on the variety. Add the chicken, cabbage, ginger, chilis, mushrooms, and celery to the boiling water. Bring again to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Mix the cornstarch with the warm water. Add the mixture to the soup, then bring again to a boil for 1 or 2 minutes. Let each guest season his own bowl of soup with soy sauce brought to the table in a small bowl.

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