Slow-boiled soup 老火湯
Lotus root, octopus and pork rib soup
蓮藕章魚豬骨湯lin4 ngau5 zoeng1 jyu4 zyu1 gwat1 tong1
Gentle and balanced. Traditionally fine for most people, any time of year. Long-cooked lotus root turns warm; dried octopus and peanuts are neutral, so the pot sits in the middle.
Good for traditionally believed to strengthen the spleen and nourish the blood.
- 25 minprep
- 3 hcook
- 6servings
- One potAutumn, Winter
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Ingredients
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- 3¼ quarts3 LWater
3 pantry items with a checked Amazon match. Buy the fresh lotus root and pork spare ribs locally or on Weee!.
Method
- Soak the octopus and peanuts for 1 hour. Rinse the octopus and cut it in strips.
- Peel the lotus root, trim the ends and cut it in thick chunks.
- Put the meat in cold water, bring to a boil and let it bubble for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse off the scum.
- Bring the water to a rolling boil. Add everything, boil hard for 20 minutes, then cover and simmer on low for 2 hours 30 minutes.
- The lotus root is ready when it pulls apart in sticky threads.
- Skim off any fat and season with salt just before serving.
Who should go easy
Fine for most people. Skip the octopus if you have a shellfish or seafood allergy.
Traditional Chinese food therapy, not medical advice. Ask your doctor if you are pregnant, on medication or unwell.
Ingredient natures from Hong Kong Anti-Cancer Society, "中醫食療——食物種類分析" (Dr Lam To-yee, registered Chinese medicine practitioner, 2022). How we judge a soup’s nature.
Watch someone make it
Home cooks on YouTube. Opens right here.
