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a bowl of lotus root and pork rib soup
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Lotus Root Soup with Pork Rib (Canh Suon Cu Sen)

This lotus root soup with pork rib is a comforting, healthy, and tasty soup for family meals. The ribs are tender while the broth has a delicate sweet-savory flavor and a gentle fragrance.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Side Dish, Soup
Cuisine: Chinese, Vietnamese
Keyword: canh suon cu sen, pork rib soup with lotus root
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 373kcal
Author: Sophie

Ingredients

  • 16 oz peeled lotus root
  • half a lime (or 1 teaspoon of vinegar)
  • 4 1/2 cups water (up to 5 cups, plus more to parboil the ribs)
  • 21 oz pork ribs
  • 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
  • 8 jujube dates, rinsed and seeds removed (also called red dates)
US Customary - Grams

Instructions

  • Peel lotus root and slice into ¼-⅓ inch (about 7-8mm) thick pieces or cut into chunks with the same thickness. Once peeled or cut, soak lotus root in a bowl of cold water with the juice from half a lime (or some vinegar) to prevent it from turning brown.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the pork ribs. Parboil for a couple of minutes, then drain and rinse the ribs.
  • To a clean pot, add 4½ cups (1100ml) of water and bring to a simmer. Add salt, pork ribs, lotus root and jujube dates.
  • Bring to a boil and skim off foam if needed. Then lower the heat, cover the pot and simmer for about 90 minutes or until the ribs are tender.
  • Taste and adjust to your liking. Transfer to serving bowls and serve right away.

Notes

You can garnish the soup with some chopped scallion and cilantro.
Instant Pot/Pressure cooker suggestion:
  • Parboil the ribs for a couple of minutes.
  • Add all ingredients and water to the pressure cooker. Reduce the amount of water by 1/2 a cup. Cook on High for about 25-30 minutes. Since not all pressure cookers are the same, please adjust cooking time as needed.
  • After releasing the pressure, switch to Sauté and simmer for several minutes. Adjust the taste to your liking.
Substitutions/Variations:
  • Add 2-3 dried shiitake mushrooms that have been rehydrated to simmer with other ingredients.
  • Or add 2-3 teaspoons of goji berries to the broth near the end of the cooking process.
  • Omit the jujube dates if you don't have any on hand.

Nutrition

Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 724mg | Potassium: 883mg | Fiber: 6g | Vitamin C: 50mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 2mg