My mum makes many wonderful soups, but this one might just be my sentimental favourite because she made it when I needed it most.
I wasn’t feeling well and my appetite was very poor.
Seeing my condition, she simply said, “I’ll make a soup to wake up your appetite.”
I remember thinking … sure or not? So easy meh?
“Very simple only!”
That evening, she went into the kitchen and began instructing our helper.
I took one sip, and something miraculous happened. My appetite slowly returned.
The broth was light but full of flavour: sweet from the scallops and dates, rounded out by the chicken, with the old cucumber lending that unmistakable depth. I even managed to finish a full plate of rice, thank God!
“How to make this soup, Mum?”
She responded, “Very simple only. Just put everything in the pot and boil.”
Haha! If only.
The day after I got back to Penang, I immediately went to the market and bought all the ingredients to replicate the soup.
Guess what. It took me two tries before I got it right.
The first time, I followed her instructions to the letter (or so I thought), but something was missing. The soup was less tasty somehow.
Then I remembered what Mum said: “Must add salt at the beginning.”
The second time, I did just that. And wow, the difference! The flavours were deeper, more integrated. Later, when I came across a video by Refika Birgul talking about the importance of seasoning at different stages of cooking, everything made sense.
Mum already knew this of course.
Her “simple but super sedap” recipes never fail. Done right, her cooking not only wakes up the appetite, but warms the heart.
Old Cucumber Soup with Red Dates & Chicken (老黄瓜汤)
Equipment
- Large enough soup pot, chopping board, knife
Ingredients
- 1 old cucumber
- 5 –6 dried scallops
- ½ kampung chicken + 1 chicken leg
- 7 –8 red dates
- Salt to taste
- Water
Instructions
Prep ingredients
- Soak dried scallops in boiling water until they are soft, at least 15 minutes.Remove as much skin as possible from kampung chicken and cut into pieces. Cut old cucumber into rings and scoop the seeds out. De-seed red dates - I find using a pair of scissors easiest to do this.
Cook
- Place all ingredients into a pot and add enough water to just cover the solids.
- Season lightly with salt.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to the lowest.
- Cover with a lid, leaving a tiny gap, and simmer gently for 1–1¼ hours, or until the cucumber is very soft.
- Taste and adjust for salt before serving.
Notes
Key Tips for a Really Good Old Cucumber Soup
1. Season earlyThis is the game-changer. It allows the salt to penetrate the ingredients as they cook, giving a deeper, more rounded flavour. 2. Remove the chicken skin
This keeps the soup clear and clean-tasting, without excess oil. 3. Use kampung (free-range) chicken if you can
It’s leaner and has a higher bone-to-meat ratio compared to conventional chicken, which means more natural sweetness is released into the broth as it simmers. 4. Prep the cucumber properly
Always remove the seeds—they can affect the taste and clarity of the soup. 5. Go low and slow
A gentle simmer, not a rolling boil, gives you that clean, sweet broth.