Lotus root and pork rib soup (蓮藕豬骨湯)
A classic Cantonese slow-boiled soup: lotus root simmered with pork ribs, red dates and dried tangerine peel until soft, starchy and faintly pink.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 2 hr 30 min
- Serves
- 6
Method
- 1
Prepare the lotus root. Scrub it well under running water and cut off the ends — mud can hide in the holes. Peel it and cut into thick slices or chunks.
- 2
Soak the tangerine peel for 20 minutes and scrape off the white pith. If you're using dried octopus, soak it for 30 minutes and cut it into pieces.
- 3
Blanch the pork. Put it in a pan of cold water, bring to the boil, boil for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse.
- 4
Boil the soup. Bring the water to the boil, add everything except the salt and boil hard for 15 minutes. Cover and simmer for 2 hours, until the lotus root is soft and slightly starchy.
- 5
Season and serve. Add salt to taste. The lotus root and pork are good to eat too, dipped in a little soy sauce.
About this dish
Lotus root goes soft and slightly sticky after a long simmer, and turns a faint pinkish-purple. It's one of the most familiar soups in a Cantonese home, and an easy one for a 陪月 to make in a big pot for the whole family.
Tips
- Choose plump sections with both ends closed, so less mud has got inside. UK Chinese supermarkets sell fresh and vacuum-packed lotus root.
- No dried octopus? The soup is still good without it — add a few extra red dates for sweetness.
- Leftovers: divide into smaller containers so they cool quickly, get them into the fridge within 1 to 2 hours, eat within 48 hours, and reheat once, until steaming hot.
About these recipes
- These are traditional home recipes, shared for cultural interest. They are not medical or nutritional advice, and we don’t claim any dish treats, prevents or cures anything.
- If you have allergies, gestational diabetes or a special diet, or take any medicines or herbal remedies, check with your midwife, health visitor, GP or pharmacist before changing what you eat.
- Follow UK food-safety advice: cook meat, fish and eggs thoroughly; cool leftovers and get them into the fridge within 1 to 2 hours; eat them within 2 days; and reheat only once, until steaming hot.
- Some recipes contain alcohol, and cooking doesn’t remove all of it. If you’re breastfeeding, read our guide to ginger vinegar and chicken in rice wine first.
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