Braised lotus with pork rib soup

This rustic Chinese soup recipe is comforting in it's simplicity, with the pork rib adding flavour to the broth as it cooks. It is often eaten in autumn and winter as a tonic for the body.

Braised lotus with pork rib soup

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  2:10 hours

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 700 g fresh lotus root
• 2½ litres water
• 500 g pork ribs, chopped into 5 cm pieces
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 10 g ginger, sliced
• 2 dried red Chinese dates

Instructions

To prepare fresh lotus, wash and peel with a potato peeler then cut into pieces approximately 10 cm in length.

Place the water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add pork ribs, lotus root, carrots, ginger and dates.

Keep boiling on high heat for two hours, covered, until lotus root is tender.

Add salt to taste and serve.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.