Chinese apple soup

This Cantonese soup is sweet, savoury and especially comforting to make in winter. For a vegetarian alternative, simply omit the pork. For a quicker version, chop the pork, carrot, apples and figs into smaller pieces - the soup will be ready in 30 minutes from when the water boils. In the last five minutes of cook time, crank the heat to high to release more flavour. This recipe comes from Annie Louey.

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  45 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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The Cook Up with Adam Liaw

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Ingredients

• 200 g lean pork (e.g. pork shoulder), cut into 4 cm pieces
• 3 cups (750 ml) water, for blanching pork
• 1.5 litres water, for soup
• 2 apples, peeled, cored, roughly chopped (see Note)
• 2 carrots, peeled, cut into 2 cm pieces
• 5-6 dried figs
• 3 ginger slices
• Salt
• 8 jujubes (red dates), pitted
• ½ cup snow fungus, soaked for 1-2 hours until soft, drained (optional)

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, combine the pork and water for blanching. Bring to the boil, then cook for 2 minutes, then drain the pork in a fine mesh sieve and rinse well under cold water.
2. Return the cleaned saucepan to the heat with the 1.5 litres water and remaining ingredients for the soup. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cook for 25 minutes. Increase the heat to high and boil for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat. Divide the soup between bowls and serve.

Note

Apples do not need to be peeled if you prefer to keep the skin on. For a sweeter flavour, use Fuji or red delicious apples. You can also substitute apples with 2 nashi pears.

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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.