pork chop soup, aka 排骨湯

One of my new years resolutions was to cook more - at least three meals a day in the week. With the weather being so cold in Shanghai these days, I figured that soup would be a good way to cure my winter blues. Pork chop soup, or 排骨湯 rather (doesn't sound as great in English for some reason, but I promise it is delicious) has always been one of my favorites since childhood. The good news is also that this soup seems so much more difficult than it really is to make. 

I truly believe that the key to all good cooking is fresh ingredients. And, in doing this, take advantage of going to your local fruit and vegetable stands versus going to a supermarket. Luckily in Shanghai, these are quite accessible in most neighborhoods. It's also a great place to discover something new and to get all the things that are "in season". 

Love it!

So, here is my version of pork chop soup.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: at least 3 hours

To make this, you'll need to prepare the following:

One large cooking pot with one quart tap water inside,
one quart tap water (not pictured) to add in. 

One whole piece of large pork chop (for soup).
Ask your local butcher for their recommendation.

Blanch pork chop.
Start by placing pork chop in separate pot and using cold water, bring to boil.
Allow to boil for at least ten minutes.
Drain, rinse, and clean pork chop thoroughly.

Ginger (Half of this, roughly sliced, unpeeled).

A fist-full of green onion, ends removed.

One whole yellow onion, tunic and ends removed.

Three to four small-medium sized tomatoes,
each sliced in half.

Lotus Root, ends removed, peeled and chopped
into one-inch quarters.

Half a large daikon, peeled and sliced into half-inch pieces.

Three to four small potatoes, peeled and chopped
into one-inch quarters.

Two big fist-fulls of bean sprouts, tails removed. 

Place blanched pork chop, yellow and green onions, and ginger into pot with water. Simmer with low heat for an hour. Following, place the remaining ingredients (lotus root, potatoes, tomatoes, daikon, bean sprouts) into the pot.

Add one tablespoon of salt to soup,
or to taste.

An hour later, add half the remaining quart of water to pot.
Allow to simmer, and continue to add the remaining water as soup simmers.
The longer you simmer, the more flavorful the soup! After three hours, serve if you please
(but I'd hold off until just a bit longer!)


Add chopped cilantro for a flavor kick/garnish.
Remember to remove the ginger and/or onion prior to serving.

 And ta-da! Healthy, hearty, and yummy! Cheers to kickin' away the cold.