How to Cook Bird’s Nest Soup - Traditional Recipe vs Simply Swift™ Method

Table of Contents

• What is Golden Nest’s Simply Swift Edible Bird’s Nest?
• How to Cook Bird Nest Soup - Traditional Method
• How to Prepare Edible Bird’s Nest - Using Simply Swift
• Swallow Bird’s Nest Soup Recipes - Microwave
• Edible Bird’s Nest Soup Recipes - Stovetop
• Additional Instructions for Cooking Edible Bird’s Nest
  
  

Bird’s nest soup, an ancient Chinese culinary tradition, is a delicacy with a wide range of preparations. Recipes for cubilose or edibe swallow bird’s nests range from elegant modern drinks, perfect for the busy home cook to exquisite soups suitable for the finest Chinese banquets.

Preparing a traditional bird’s nest is a time consuming process (washing, soaking), taking upwards of a day. Although this preparation results in a great product, this long process can be a hindrance for modern consumers.

Innovated by Golden Nest, Simply Swift™ Swallow Bird Nest is ready to cook with no preparation required. This unique Golden Nest product is carefully hand cleaned and proportioned, completely eliminating the time consuming process of traditional bird’s nest preparation. Golden Nest Simply Swift™ is prepared using our high quality traditional bird's nest to achieve modern convenience allowing us to retain all benefits and nutrients.

How to Prepare Traditional Bird’s Nest

For those interested in preparing bird’s nest the traditional way, follow these steps. 

1. First, carefully portion the bird’s nest. A standard serving size is about 15 grams of bird’s nest per person. For exact measurements, use a kitchen scale.

2. The next critical step is soaking in water (ideally for 24 hours). Soaking accomplishes two things–nest rehydration and the removal of impurities. Through soaking, it can remove impurities such as dirt, feathers, and other undesirable elements

3. The higher the nest quality, the less impurities. Each Golden Nest bird's nest has been carefully hand-cleaned by experts to remove natural impurities. Very few minor impurities might still remain visible, since our nests are 100% natural and 100% bleaching-free. When impurities are spotted, use tweezers (or chopsticks) to remove them. If possible, use tweezers. It’s precise and avoids excessive force. Too much force in the cleaning process can break the nests fibers into smaller chunks, affecting the consistency of the final dish.

4. After impurities removal, pour the nest and water through a strainer.

5. After the initial strain, place the nests back in your bowl and add hot water. This final step acts as the final rinse and is vital for the best presentation.

How to Prepare Simply Swift™ Bird’s Nest

Unlike the traditional method, Simply Swift™ requires zero preparation by the consumer. No weighing, washing, soaking or tweezers are needed. Simply Swift™ are perfectly proportioned (1-2 servings) and can be prepared in as little as 15 minutes.

Using Simply Swift™ for recipes is exceptionally simple. Any recipe for traditional bird’s nests can be substituted with Simply Swift™. And be creative, add different ingredients. Both stove top and microwave work for preparation, eliminating even more time and stress.

Bird’s Nest Soup Recipes - Microwave

Only the Simply Swift™ Bird’s Nest can be easily cooked in the microwave, and ready to eat in 4 minutes. For the Microwave Bird’s Nest Soup Recipes, follow these instructions:

1. Pour 1 cup of water to a large microwave-safe bowl (minimum 4-cups size to avoid spilling).

2. Add 1 piece of Simply Swift™ and microwave on high for 4 minutes without cover. (Cooking times may vary depending on your microwave wattage)

3. Add sugar, spices, fruit and other ingredients to the still hot soup.
 

Bird’s Nest Soup Recipes - Stovetop

All of these following recipes can be adapted for either Simply Swift™ or traditional bird’s nest. While for traditional bird’s nests, please follow the traditional preparation guide listed above.

Egg and Ginger Bird’s Nest Soup

This popular recipe calls for a savory combination of classic Chinese flavors, accented by soy sauce, white pepper, ginger and egg whites. When you’re boiling a soup that includes bird’s nests, it’s important to carefully monitor the nests. If the nests are left boiling for too long, they’ll dissolve into the water and lose their gelatinous texture. 

Ingredients

2 pieces of Simply Swift™ or 10 grams of Golden Nest traditional bird’s nest
2 cups of good quality chicken broth 
One egg white 
2 tablespoon rice cooking wine vinegar 
1 tablespoon soy sauce 
Two thin slices of ginger 
1 teaspoon tapioca starch

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Pour two cups of chicken stock into a small saucepan with two slices of ginger, Golden Nest Bird’s Nests, rice cooking wine vinegar and soy sauce.
2. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes if you use Simply Swift™ or 30 minutes for traditional bird’s nest.
3. Remove ginger.
4. Mix a teaspoon of tapioca starch with a splash of water.
5. Drop one egg white in simmering liquid, stirring constantly. Stirring keeps the egg white from clumping, along with providing a pleasing aesthetic.
6. (Optional) Garnish with small bits of diced ham and scallions.
7. Serve hot.

Rock Sugar Bird’s Nest Soup

While many bird’s nest soups are intended as a pre-dinner starter or part of the main course, there are a significant number of recipes devoted to the use of bird’s nests as a dessert item.

This particular recipe calls for boiling bird’s nests with rock sugar, ginseng, goji berries and red Chinese dates. The end result is a sweet soup with a pleasant gelatinous texture, beloved in Chinese cuisine.

Ingredients

2 pieces of Simply Swift™ or 10 grams of Golden Nest traditional bird’s nest
4 cups of water
2 ounces rock sugar
Five dried Chinese dates
3-4 pieces of ginseng

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Pour four cups of water into a small saucepan.
2. Add Golden Nest Bird’s Nest, ginseng, five dried Chinese dates, and rock sugar to the saucepan.
3. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to low. Simmer until the bird's nests are quite soft 
   (15 minutes for Simply Swift™ or up to 2 hours for traditional bird’s nests).
4. Serve hot.

Birds Nest w/ Asian Pear & Coconut Milk

This modern twist combines fruit and creamy coconut milk into an amazing beverage, perfect for breakfast or an afternoon drink. Recipe courtesy of Angel Wong’s Kitchen.

Ingredients

1 piece of Simply Swift™ or 5 grams of Golden Nest traditional bird’s nest
2 cups water
½ small Asian Pear
½ tablespoon rock sugar
Coconut Milk to taste

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Peel Asian Pear. Set aside half. 
2. Cut ¼ of the pear into small bite sized pieces (keep in mind, these pieces will be placed into glass drinking jars).
3. Cut the other ¼ of the pear. These will be used to infuse the liquid.
4. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil.
5. Add 1 piece of bird nest and ¼ of pear pieces into water. Boil on medium heat. (15 minutes for Simply Swift™ or 30 minutes for traditional bird’s nests)
6. Halfway through the cook time, add remaining ¼ pear pieces.
7. After 15 minutes, turn off the heat, add rock sugar to taste, gently stirring to dissolve.
8. Once the beverage has cooled, pour everything into glass containers. Leave some space on top for the coconut milk.
9. Add coconut milk to taste. Refrigerate.
10. Serve chilled.

Reminders for Cooking Bird’s Nests

When you’re boiling a soup that includes bird’s nests, be sure to monitor the nests. If you leave them boiling for too long, they’ll dissolve into the water and lose their gelatin-like texture.

Second, be as methodical as you can with the cleaning process. You don’t want any feathers, bits of dirt or other objects in your food.

Tweezers are an excellent way to remove any foreign objects because they are precise – heavy-handed cleaning can break the nests fibers down into smaller chunks and mar the consistency of your dish.

We recommend using only the highest-grade nests for cooking. However, we offer varying levels of bird’s nests ranging from AAA (highest) down to C (lowest). Our grading system accounts for color, size and shape.