Samgaetang (삼계탕), is a popular summer soup made with chicken stuffed with glutinous rice, young ginseng roots, and dried dates and garlic cloves. It is most popular during the hottest days in summer. Some say that samgaetang helps boost the immune system to fight the heat, fatigue and other illnesses. We refer to this as ‘E-Yeol Chi-Yeol’, meaning to ‘Fight Heat with Heat’. If you ask me, Yes, it seems to work for me, but in my case, I tend to make this in the coldest time of the
year as well!
This is an awesome recipe for Fall, as we transition between the hot and cold weather. In California, our Fall season is an odd mix between warmer days and chilly nights—so whether you’re fighting the heat fatigue, or getting through the cold and its illnesses, Samgaetang is an awesome dish to have ready to go whenever you need it.
Explore more Soup & Stew recipes by CLICKING HERE. In the mood for a soup with beef instead? Try Kooksujeongol, or Beef Mushroom soup.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chap-sal (sweet rice)
- 1 small sized chicken, thoroughly rinsed and patted dry
- 1 tbsp seasalt
- 2 tbsp pine nuts (optional)
- 2 small fresh ginseng roots (dried ones are good too)
- 6 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 8 dried dates or jujubes
- 4 whole chestnuts, peeled (optional)
- 4 cups of water
- 1 scallion thinly sliced
- Sea salt and ground pepper for taste
Instructions
- Wash the rice and soak it in a bowl full of cold water for 2 hours.
- Drain the rice and mix it with the pine nuts.
- Add the ginseng roots, half of the garlic cloves, jujubes and all the chestnut into the cavity of the chicken and then stuff the sweet rice.
- My mom used to sew this part using a real needle and thread… but in my case, I cut a small slit on the flap of the skin just above the drumstick on each side and secure the end of each drumstick through both flaps. This prevents the stuffing from coming out during the boiling process.
- In a medium sized deep pot, add the chicken, water and remaining garlic.
- When it comes to a boil, partially cover the pot with a lid and simmer in medium low heat
for one hour. - Serve the Samgyetang in a small pot or large bowl with the sliced scallions with a side of salt
and pepper.
Check out this Cathlyn’s Korean Kitchen Season 4 Episode: The World of Korean Soups.