Weekend Herb Blogging #93

Anna from Anna's Cool Finds is hosting this edition of Weekend Herb Blogging and this week I'll be looking at a member of the Allium family that's the cause of confusion

This is a Spring Onion also known as Scallion and Green onion and in parts of Australia it's incorrectly called shallot and eschallot. I'm not one to point fingers at certain states *cough*New South Wales*cough* but this is not a shallot - I will admit that they are getting better at referring to it by the correct name.

Spring Onions are high in Fibre and Vitamins A, K and C, which is especially attractive if you are battling a cold as I am. They also contain Calcium, Copper, Folate, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Potassium, Riboflavin and Thiamine.

There is something that always makes me feel better regardless of how under the weather I am - it's also super easy to make. Not much tops a comforting bowl of Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup. I've given this version an extra boost of ginger by infusing the stock with ginger slices - as ginger is a great anti-oxidant I think it can only do me good.

Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup

1 litre chicken stock

4 slices ginger

6 spring onions/scallions

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

4 chicken thigh fillets, skinless, sliced finely

420 grams canned creamed corn

2 cups corn kernels

salt and freshly ground pepper

sesame oil

2 tablespoons corn flour mixed with a little water, optional, to thicken soup

1 egg white, lightly whisked with 1 tablespoon water

Place the chicken stock and sliced ginger into a pot and bring to a simmer so to allow the ginger to infuse into the stock.

Separate the white from the green parts of the spring onions. Slice both finely.

Heat a little neutral oil in a large pot and when it's come to temperature, add the sliced white part of the spring onion and the ginger. Let this gently sauté for a couple of minutes before adding the chicken pieces - just add a quarter of the chicken at a time. When the chicken has changed colour, add the creamed corn and corn kernels.

Turn the heat up a little and stir this well before adding the stock (strain off the ginger slices). Add half the sliced green parts of the spring onion and let the soup simmer until the corn has cooked through.

Taste and season with salt and freshly ground pepper and a few drops of sesame oil.

If you prefer a thicker soup, then at this stage, stir in the mix of corn flour and water.

Just before serving add in the remaining sliced spring onion greens and while stirring the soup, drizzle in the lightly whisked egg white - this sets as soon as you add it to the soup so it's important to keep stirring to break it up and get a speckled finish.

With a few bowls of this, I'll soon be back at full strength - Many thanks go to all who have sent their well wishes.