Chinese Salted Pork Bone Soup
This Salted Pork Bone Soup with glass noodles and napa cabbage is a Chinese homestyle comfort food recipe that we crave in the wintertime.
- Prep time
- 5 min
- Cook time
- 2 hr 20 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil ((or any neutral oil))
- 2 pounds salted meaty pork neck bones ((cut into 2-inch/5cm pieces))
- 8 1/2 cups water
- 3 slices ginger ((about 2-inches/5cm long, ⅛-inch/0.3cm thick))
- 1.75 ounces mung bean vermicelli ((about 1 bundle; can substitute with thicker sweet potato glass noodles or about 1 cup cooked rice))
- 1 pound napa cabbage ((or greens of your choice))
- salt (to taste)
- ground white pepper (to taste)
- 1 scallion ((finely chopped))
- 1/4 cup cilantro ((coarsely chopped))
Instructions
- 1
Heat your soup pot over high heat until it just starts to smoke. Reduce the heat to medium-high. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to evenly coat the bottom, then add the salted pork bones in a single layer. Brown the bones on all sides until light golden brown, taking care not to burn them, which will cause your soup to taste bitter.
- 2
While the meat is browning, boil the water in a separate pot. Once the meat is done, carefully pour the boiling water into the soup pot.
- 3
Increase the heat to high to quickly bring the soup to a boil. Add the ginger slices, cover, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours. (If using, add the soaked dried squid, conch, or dried scallops plus the liquid it soaked in along with the ginger.)
- 4
Soak the mung bean vermicelli or sweet potato glass noodles, submerging them in cool water so they soften as the soup cooks. They won’t need to cook for very long.
- 5
Wash the napa cabbage (or your leafy green of your choice). Shake off excess water, and cut the cabbage into bite-sized pieces.
- 6
After 1 ½ to 2 hours of cooking, add the napa cabbage. Increase the heat to high to bring the soup to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for another 5 minutes until the cabbage is tender (or if using a more tender leafy green like bok choy, cook for 1 to 2 minutes).
- 7
If you are using cooked rice or potato starch noodles instead of glass noodles, this is the time to add them.
- 8
Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Before serving, add the mung bean vermicelli, scallions, and cilantro. Bring the soup to a boil and serve.