Pork Rib and Lotus Root Soup

Lian Ou Paigu Tang (莲藕排骨汤)

A nutritious broth is created from tender pork ribs simmered with fresh wedges of lotus root and infused with Chinese herbal ingredients like Codonopsis and Lady Bell Root.

The first time I tried this soup was on my third trip to Sichuan at a little restaurant in Chengdu. Though the flavor was simple, the quality was excellent. The meat and vegetables were the freshest available; the herbal roots infusing the broth were rich and aromatic. Naturally, I was quite pleased to learn this classic Sichuan soup was surprisingly easy to make.

Compared with many soup recipes which require hours to make, Pork Rib and Lotus Root Soup is extremely quick. Soaking the ribs and then parboiling them greatly reduces the time. These two crucial steps remove most of the blood, scum, and impurities that would otherwise mar the flavor and quicken the speed at which the ribs can be cooked. In fact, if you have a pressure cooker, this soup can be finished in only 20 to 30 minutes after these first two steps are completed.

Another key step involves par-cooking the Lotus Root. Lotus Root is a rather easy root vegetable to work with, but it requires a special preparation process. If you were simply to boil Lotus Root along with the Ribs, you would notice something rather peculiar – as the Lotus Root cooks, the color becomes blackish, blueish, and sometimes even purplish. This is because quickly exposing Lotus Root to high temperature causes oxidation – the same process that turns apples brown and bananas mushy. The Lotus Root will still be edible. However, the flavor will be slightly off, and of course, the appearance will be less than pleasing. This discoloration can easily be prevented with one easy step: Boil the Lotus Root with Vinegar. The acidic substance binds with the molecules in the Lotus Root to prevent the black color from forming.

Prep Time: 30 min

Cook Time: 2 hrs

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 min

Serving: 4 people

Ingredients

500 grams of Pork Spareribs

1 large section of Lotus Root (about 500 to 750 grams)

Aromatics
1 2-inch block of Ginger
1 8-inch white stalk of Big Scallion

Herbal Ingredients
4 Jujube
3 Codonopsis Roots (党参; about 10 grams)
2 – 3 sticks of Lady Bell Root (沙参; aka Adenophora Root; about 15 grams)
1/4 tsp. Cracked White Peppercorns

2 Tbsp. White Vinegar
2 Tbsp. Peanut Oil

1/4 cup Shaoxing Rice Wine

1 Tbsp. Salt

Directions

1.) Wash the Pork Ribs, separate them into individual Ribs, and then chop the Ribs into roughly 3 to 4-inch-long pieces. Place the Ribs into a bowl of water and allow them to soak for at least 30 minutes.

2.) Peel the Lotus Root, cut it in half lengthwise, and then cut the halves lengthwise into quarters. Cut across each of the four long strips at a 45-degree angle while using the hand holding the Lotus Root to move it after each cut so that the knife hand can cut at 45-degree angle in the opposite direction of the previous cut.

(The goal is to create 2-inch-long triangle-shaped wedges. This doesn’t need to look super pretty so long as the size is correct).

3.) Smash the Ginger and cut the Scallion into 4-inch-long pieces. Set these aside in a small bowl for the Aromatics.

4.) Cut the Jujube in half and set them aside in a bowl. Cut the Codonopsis Root into 4-inch-long pieces and use your fingers to snap the sticks of Lady Bell Root into 4-inch-long pieces. Put both of these into the bowl with the Jujube and add the White Peppercorns. This will be the bowl of Herbal Ingredients.

5.) Fill a large pot with 3 Liters of water, add the White Vinegar and Peanut Oil, and bring the water to a boil. Add the Lotus Root and blanch them until about half cooked – usually around 1 minute. Remove the Lotus Root using a wire strainer and add them immediately to a large bowl of cold water.

(This will not only clean the Lotus Root thoroughly but also help prevent the Lotus Root from changing color later when cooked in the soup).

6.) Using the same boiling water, add the Rice Wine and Aromatics. Add the Ribs as well and cook them for 1 minute. Use a large slotted spoon to remove the Ribs and all of the Aromatics, setting these aside in a bowl.

7.) Drain the used water from the pot and clean the pot well. Refill the pot with about 4 Liters of water.

(If you have a nice ceramic or large heavy-bottomed soup pot, you can also switch to that at this time. The water should reduce from about 4 Liters to about 3 to 3.5 Liters, so try to maintain at least 3 Liters in the pot and add more water as necessary).

8.) Add the Pork Ribs and Aromatics to the pot and bring to a boil. Skim away any scum that rises to the surface so that you’re left with a very clear soup.

9.) After 30 minutes on a medium boil, remove the Scallion. Add the Lotus Root and all of the Herbal Ingredients.

10.) Reduce the heat and simmer the Soup for at least 1 hour and 30 minutes at medium-low heat and up to 3 hours at very low heat. Serve the Pork Rib and Lotus Root Soup in individual bowls along with a bowl of rice, optionally a bowl of Dipping Sauce, and preferably other Sichuan dishes.

 

Contribute to Sichuan Soul

Sichuan Soul is funded in part thanks to generous contributions by fans like you! Your donations supply Sichuan Soul with the funding needed to provide quality recipes and photos. All donations are processed safely and securely through PayPal. You can donate any amount using the 'Donate' button below. Thank you for your support.

 

Privacy Policy