Carrot Lotus Pork Bone Soup (胡萝卜莲藕排骨汤)

It’s that time of the year when I start making soup every week. I feel it helps to beat the summer heat and humidity. This year the heat came much earlier in Texas. For the past few weeks, the afternoon temperature often went up to over 95 degrees. With over 80% humidity, it became quite unpleasant to be outdoors.

As I mentioned in several of my previous pork bone soup recipes, such as Potato with Tomato Pork Bone Soup or Corn Potato Carrot Pork Bone Soup, even though I grew up in Beijing where drinking soup is not part of the dinner ritual, I became quite obsessed with Cantonese-style soups after spending a few summers in Hong Kong during my middle school years.

Cantonese-style soups usually require many hours to make the base stock. Then different vegetables and dried goods are added either in the middle or towards the end. I like making the base Pork Bone Stock first, then adding vegetables at the end to make these soups. With just a few simple vegetables, it can turn the stock into delicious soup that can be eaten along with a meal or as a light meal by itself.

Today’s soup is no exception. I chose carrots and lotus root as the accompanying vegetables. The dried jujubes are optional. All these ingredients add a subtle sweetness to the soup. My kids especially love this soup due to its mildly sweet flavor.

Plain lotus root has a crunchy texture. I don’t think it’s everyone’s cup of tea (my kids included). They will drink the soup, eat the carrots and the pork bones, but leave the lotus roots. So if you are not a fan of plain lotus root, you can take them out at the end and make them into a simple salad by cutting them into smaller pieces, and then adding some salt, white vinegar, chili peppers, minced garlic, and sesame oil.

Tool: Asian style stoneware soup pot, Stainless steel soup pot, or Dutch oven

Gluten Free, Low Carb

Preparation Time:  10 minutes

Total Time:  3 hours and 10 minutes ¹

Servings: 4 to 6 people

Ingredients:

• 2-2 ½ quarts of pork bone stock along with 4 to 5 pieces of pork neck bones (see previous post)
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 small segment of lotus root ²
• 2 dried jujubes (optional)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or ½ teaspoon table salt)

Preparation:

1. Pour the pork bone stock along with the bones into a soup pot and close the lid. Set the heat to medium-high.

2. While waiting for the stock and bones to heat up, prepare the other ingredients. Peel and cut the carrots into large pieces (I like to roll cut). Wash the lotus segment thoroughly, making sure no dirt remains inside the lotus holes. Peel and cut the lotus segment into medium chunks. Wash the jujubes well if using.

3. When the stock boils, add the carrots, lotus, and jujubes (if using), mixing slightly. Cover the lid. When the stock boils again, lower the heat to medium-low to produce a low rolling boil.³ Cover and let cook for about 15 minutes until the carrots and lotus become tender.

4. Turn off the heat and add the 1 teaspoon of kosher salt (or ½ teaspoon of table salt), mixing well. Add more salt to taste. Pour the soup along with equal portions of pork bones, carrots, and lotus into separate bowls. Serve hot or warm. Enjoy!

Bon Appétit

Notes:

1. Includes preparation, active, and total time used to make pork bone stock.

2. Lotus root is the underground root of the lotus plant. You can find fresh lotus root in pretty much any Asian grocery store. They are sold in segments and can be eaten raw or cooked.

3. Low rolling boil is one notch below boil, but much higher than simmer.

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