Chinese White Fungus Soup

Contrary to American culture, traditional Chinese meals call for a simple soup as the last course. It serves to both cleanse the palate and aid in digestion. The soups are very brothy and according to my mother "make you live forever and look younger" just like all the other Chinese herbs out there, right? I knew there was a reason that we had soup after EVERY meal growing up. Imagine having to drink bittermelon soup at the age of five. That was my "Brussels sprout" growing up. You can imagine all the nose plugging that went on at the dinner table those nights. :) Here's one of my favorite, non-nose plugging soups... white fungus soup. The essential ingredients include white fungus, shredded chicken, and dried shitake mushrooms, scallops and shrimp for their delicious umami contribution. The base is chicken stock (homemade of course). The white fungus has a wonderful texture with both crunchy parts closer to the core and silkier leafier pieces also. I like to throw in a few slices of fresh ginger root for a little spice. I garnish with chopped scallions for freshness. Try this Chinese alternative to chicken noodle soup on this cold winter day.