Savory and nourishing soup made from simmering pork ribs with red dates (jujubes), daikon, and carrots. Season the soup with fish sauce and white pepper. Dip the pork ribs (fall off the bone tender!) into a bit of soy sauce. Eat with a big bowl of rice and enjoy.
Why This Recipe Works
It's soup season all year long in our household ^_^
We drink soup because 1) it's delicious and, 2) we always feel very "whole" and nourished after drinking soup.
I love all types of soup though Chinese soups might be my favorite. I love how Chinese soups are simple and complex all at the same time. So full of flavor and depth! I love how they can be meaty, but also healthy. And all the herbs and vegetables! What's not to love.
Today's soup is a simple one, but super tasty. I adapted it from a great House of Annie recipe. You start with pork rib bones. Clean them (more on that below), then just simmer with red dates (jujubes), daikon, and carrots. That's it! Let it cook nice and slow for 1-2 hours.
This slow cooking gets out all the sweetness and flavor from the rib bones. It makes the meat so tender, and the soup becomes super flavorful thanks to the combination of meat, vegetables, and those wonderful red dates.
We season with soup with fish sauce and lots of white pepper (optional). You can also add a little dash of soy sauce.
Ladle them into bowls and eat! I like make this soup on quiet Sundays at home. I make a double batch and then there's enough soup to start every morning with a small bowl. Such a good way to begin the day.
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make the soup:
- Pork ribs, cut into chunks - You can also use pork neck bones or pork shoulder/butt (for a boneless option).
- Red dates (jujubes) - We buy these in Chinatown. Costco also sometimes has them in big packages.
- Daikon
- Carrots
- Fish sauce (nuoc nam)
- White pepper (optional)
- Soy sauce (optional) - We like to dip the pork bones/meat into a little bit of soy sauce before eating. Super ono.
Step by Step Directions
Let's get cooking ^_^
Prepare the pork ribs.
Do this by placing all the pork ribs into a pot. Add enough water to cover the pork ribs. Bring to a boil over high heat. Let boil for 1 minute. Turn off the heat. Pour out the water (along with all the scum). Then gently rinse the pork ribs under cold water 2-3 times.
Protip: This step may seem like extra work but it's essential. The purpose of this parboiling step is to clean the pork so that the final broth with be clear and very pure tasting. Skipping this step will result in a cloudy broth.
Add water and simmer.
Add 10 cups fresh water to cover the pork ribs. Bring to a boil, then turn it down to low and let simmer for 30 minutes.
Add the dates and vegetables.
Add the dates, daikon, and carrots. Bring the soup back to a boil. Then immediately turn it down to a simmer and let the soup cook for 1-2 hours (or until the daikon is very tender and slightly translucent).
Season the soup.
Season with the fish sauce and white pepper. You can also add a dash of soy sauce.
Ladle and serve.
Ladle the soup into individual bowls, making sure everyone gets a taste of the pork ribs, dates, daikon, and carrots. Add a little more white pepper to your individual bowl if you'd like (we love white pepper).
Dip, eat, and enjoy!
Enjoy the soup hot with a bowl of rice on the side. We also like to set out a small dipping dish of soy sauce to that everyone can dip the pork ribs into a little soy sauce before eating. Small touch but makes a big difference.
Protip: Dipping the meat in soy sauce is optional, but something we ALWAYS do. It's not much extra work (just pour a little soy sauce into a small dipping dish), but it takes the dish to a whole new level of deliciousness.
FAQs and Tips
It tastes even better the next day! It'll keep 2-3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat the soup in the microwave or on the stove.
If you can't find pork ribs bones, you can also use pork neck bones.
This is a pork bone soup and you can use any type of pork bone, but using bones with a bit of meat on them is the "traditional" way to make this soup.
For a boneless option, you can also use pork shoulder/butt.
I like to eat this soup plus a bowl of rice for a simple lunch or dinner. When eating with family and friends, I'll add a few more dishes to make it more of a complete meal. Here are a few dishes we often pair with the soup:
- Hot Sesame Oil Tofu
- Ants Climbing A Tree Noodles
- Braised Duck Gizzards
- Chinese Sausage (Lap Cheong) and Green Beans
- Garlic and Fish Sauce Ong Choy (aka Chinese water spinach)
- Garlic and Fish Sauce Eggplant
If you have time, let the soup sit overnight in the fridge. Any extra fat will rise to the top and harden. This will make it easy to remove the excess fat the next day. Scoop and discard the fat before reheating the soup.
Chinese Pork Bone Soup Recipe
See below and enjoy ^_^
Chinese Pork Bone Soup
Savory and nourishing soup made from simmering pork ribs with red dates (jujubes), daikon, and carrots. Season the soup with fish sauce and white pepper. Dip the pork ribs (fall off the bone tender!) into a bit of soy sauce. Eat with a big bowl of rice and enjoy.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork ribs, cut into chunks
- 10 red dates
- 1 large daikon, cut into chunks
- 2 large carrots, cut into chunks
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce (nuoc nam)
- White pepper (optional)
- Soy sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the pork ribs. Do this by placing all the pork ribs into a pot. Add enough water to cover the pork ribs. Bring to a boil over high heat. Let boil for 1 minute. Turn off the heat. Pour out the water (along with all the scum). Then gently rinse the pork ribs under cold water 2-3 times.
- Add 10 cups fresh water to cover the pork ribs. Bring to a boil, then turn it down to low and let simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add the dates, daikon, and carrots. Bring the soup back to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer and let it cook for 1-2 hours (or until the daikon is very tender and soft).
- Season with the fish sauce and white pepper. You can also add a dash of soy sauce.
- Ladle the soup into individual bowls, making sure everyone gets a taste of the pork ribs, dates, daikon, and carrots. Add a little more white pepper to your individual bowl if you'd like (we love white pepper).
- Enjoy the soup hot with a bowl of rice on the side. We also like to set out a small dipping dish of soy sauce to that everyone can dip the pork ribs into a little soy sauce before eating. Small touch but makes a big difference.
Notes
- Instead of pork ribs, you can also use pork neck bones or pork shoulder/butt (if you don't want bones).
- Recipe adapted from House of Annie.
Adding sliced fresh red chillies to the soy sauce will up the dipping to a whole new height. Thats what l do😋
Ooo love that idea! 🙂
- Kathy
I also added lotus root and seaweed knots cause that's how my friends okinowan mom made it.