Mung Bean Soup with Chinese Pearl Barley and Mushroom Chicken Soup (綠豆薏仁湯, 香菇雞湯)

By pure coincidence, these two soups were made on one fine autumn day. The Mung Bean Soup was made because the temperature was close to 100 degrees in Southern California on that day. This dessert soup has its supposedly "medicinal" cooling effect on a warm day, which makes it quite popular in summer.  The chicken soup was made for a neighbor who fell ill suddenly.  This is an everyday routine entry.  We made it many times before, never thought about writing it down as a recipe.  This entry is more for keeping a record than anything else, even though this is still a very Chinese soup, with its unique mushroom flavor.

I. Mung Bean Soup with Chinese Pearl Barley (綠豆薏仁湯)

1. Prepare Chinese Pearl Barley (薏仁): Soak 1/2 cup of Chinese Pearl Barley in water in a small pot for 2 hrs. Bring the pot to boil and let simmer for 20 minutes (in covered pot).  Keep the pot covered with full steam inside for another 20-30 minutes.  Note- Chinese Pearl Barley can be used to make multiple desserts, hence a separate step for its preparation.
2. Prepare Mung Beans: Get 1 cup of mung beans (綠豆) rinsed and placed in a pot, add 4 - 6 cups of water into a medium sized pot. Bring to boil and let simmer for 45 minutes (till the mung beans open up like flowers blooming).  Note- Soaking mung beans for 2 hours first can reduce cooking time down to 15 - 20 minutes.  Using the soaking method, Step 1 & 2 can be combined (soak 2 hrs -> cook 20 mins -> let sit in full steam 20 - 30 mins).
3. Add 1/4 cup of sugar (4 Tbsp) into the pot. Pour the cooked Chinese Pearl Barley into the pot. Mix thoroughly.  Add more water to dilute the mixture if you like.  Bring to boil and turn off heat.  Season to taste with sugar. Let cool in fridge and serve. Here is a picture of the finished product.
   

II. Mushroom Chicken Soup (香菇雞湯)

1. Immerse a Cornish Hen (frozen, no need to defrost) in water in a medium-sized pot. Add the following into the pot: scallions (1-2 stalk, cut into 2" segments), ginger (6-8 slices), garlic (2-3 cloves, sliced or smashed), salt (1/4 tsp), rice cooking wine (3-4 Tbsp), 6-8 pieces of Dry Mushrooms (rinse, no need to soften or reconstitute).  Add water to fill 80% of the pot. 
2. Bring the pot to boil. Let simmer in covered pot for 2.5 hrs.  Check once an hour (on water level).
3. Scrape off chicken oil from the surface of the soup (with a spoon). Season to taste (by adding 1/4 tsp salt a time), and serve.
4. Alternatively, one can cook 10-12 frozen Wontons (buy from market) in a separate pot. Take the cooked Wontons out into a bowl.  Ladle the chicken soup on top, and serve.