1  small chicken (or 2 pounds deboned, skinless chicken pieces)
3  astragalus root slices
3  bay leaves
2  to 4 whole red chilies
 water to cover and cook chicken (2 to 3 quarts)
1 ounce dried shitake mushrooms
2  large onions, chopped
1 cup chopped carrot
3  celery stalks, chopped
2 tablespoons tamari
1  piece (2 inches) of fresh ginger, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
3 cups bok choy or other Chinese cabbage, chopped
 juice of one lemon
 Garnish: 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaf chopped (optional)

Place the chicken, astragalus, bay leaves and chili peppers in a large soup pot. Cover with water and cook until tender (about an hour). Remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool.

Rinse shiitakes under cool water to remove any grit, then place in a small bowl and cover the mushrooms with hot water to soften (15 minutes).

Add onions, carrot, celery, tamari and drained, chopped mushrooms to stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove chicken from the bone and add it — along with the ginger, garlic, and parsley flakes — to the soup. Continue simmering another five minutes.

Remove astragalus and bay leaves from soup and discard. Add bok choy and lemon juice to the pot. Stir well, taste and adjust seasonings, if desired. If soup is not as spicy as you would like, add cayenne powder, ¼ teaspoon at a time. Serve piping hot and garnish with chopped cilantro, if desired.