Easy Chinese Lotus Root and Pork Bone Soup 蓮藕排骨

Easy Chinese Lotus Root and Pork Bone Soup 蓮藕排骨 is a delicious traditional Chinese soup made with a combination of lotus root and pork ribs. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, this root vegetable with a crunchy texture strengthens the spleen and stomach, nourishes blood and improves the skin. This is a very tasty soup made with just a handful of ingredients. It will become one of your favourite soups from Autumn through Winter!

> In This Post: Everything You'll Need For The Best Chinese Lotus Root Soup Recipe

Lotus root recipes are often enjoyed during the Mid-Autumn Festival and Chinese New Year. Their cylindrical shape symbolizes luck and unity. If you love fresh lotus root, this classic Chinese soup is for you! The sweet taste of lotus root with large chunks of pork bones is so delicious and inviting.

Check out this quick story summary of our recipe!

Jump to:

• > In This Post: Everything You'll Need For The Best Chinese Lotus Root Soup Recipe
• What Are Lotus Roots?
• Lotus Roots Health Benefits & TCM Properties
• Ingredients and Substitutes
• Instructions
• Other Delicious Soup Recipes
• What To Serve With Lotus Root and Pork Bone Soup
• > Recipe Card
• Easy Chinese Lotus Root and Pork Bone Soup 蓮藕排骨

What Are Lotus Roots?

In Chinese, Lotus Root is called 藕节,Ǒujié or 蓮藕, Liánǒu. The lotus root is the edible rhizome of the lotus plant. The rhizome is a subterranean stem that grows horizontally as a line of interconnected root structures connected by nodes. 

Lotus roots are available year-round and peak seasonally during Fall through Winter.

How To Choose Lotus Roots?

Look for lotus roots that are firm and heavy instead of ones that are bruised with soft spots. Preserved and packaged lotus roots will have their stems peeled and soaked in vinegar to maintain their pale-coloured flesh. 

Choose ones that have an enclosed node. They are the cleanest, without a lot of mud and sediment.

Here are a couple lotus root-forward bowls I am genuinely obsessed with from the blog! Both these recipes are delicious and easy to make!

Other Lotus Root Recipes  

• Red Fermented Bean Curd Lotus Root Spareribs 南乳蓮藕炆排骨
• Osmanthus Stuffed Lotus Root with Glutinous Rice 桂花糯米藕
• Lotus Root Stir Fry  
• Korean Lotus Root  

Another root vegetable that shines in traditional Asian soups is daikon radish-this quick 15-minute daikon tofu kombu miso soup showcases daikon's digestive benefits with Japanese umami flavors, offering a faster weeknight alternative when you don't have time for slow-simmered pork bone broth.

Lotus Roots Health Benefits & TCM Properties

Lotus Roots enter the liver, lung and stomach meridians. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, raw and cooked lotus roots have different effects.

This "spiritual root (灵根)," according to traditional Chinese medicine, raw and cooked lotus roots have different effects. There are many health benefits of lotus roots. When eaten raw, lotus root is sweet and cold, which can clear away pathogenic heat and cool the blood, remove blood stagnation and stop bleeding; when cooked, lotus root has a mild nature and flavour, which can help strengthen the spleen and stomach, relieve diarrhea, nourish blood and improve skin.

Raw lotus root help clear the lungs and stops bleeding. For some people, cooked lotus root may be heaty. Adding some green mung beans and dried tangerine peel are great at reducing heatiness! 

Specifically, the beautiful lotus flower's roots beneath mud are rich in essential minerals and Vitamin C, which supports immunity; Copper, which improves cognitive functions; Potassium, which improves heart health and blood circulation; and dietary fiber, which aids digestion.

Ingredients and Substitutes

This is one of the easy TCM Chinese soups to make during this time of the year when the mercury plummets. Nourish and balance the body's Yin Yang with simple ingredients.

Lotus Roots (蓮藕, Lián'ǒu) - Raw lotus roots available in Asian supermarkets may come in a single root stub (internode) or a series of interconnected internodes that feed the lotus flower. Some lotus roots come sliced and prepackaged. Always opt for fresh raw lotus roots! 

Pork Ribs (豬骨, Zhū gǔ) - Pork ribs and pork bones boost a simple TCM soup. Pork bone soup is rich in minerals, vitamins, amino acids and essential fatty acids. Pork is also a rich source of niacin and thiamine, Vitamins B12 and B6, selenium, and zinc. Choose pork neck bones, shank or tenderloin for a less fatty option. 

Shiitake Mushrooms (冬菇, Dōnggū) - learn how to quickly resuscitate dried Chinese mushrooms. Shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes), an edible and medicinal wood-dwelling fungus of the family Marasmiaceae (order Agaricales), is one of the most cultivated fungi in the world. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shiitake is referred to as an "elixir of life" centuries ago. This mushroom is characterized by its scaly brown cap with a strong aroma. These mushrooms are dietary fiber, B Vitamins, copper, selenium, manganese, and iron. Shiitake fungi are neutral, sweet and promote spleen, stomach, lung and boost the immune system. They are the ingredients in many Asian dishes. 

Black Eye Peas (眉豆, Méi dòu) - This leguminous plant kidney bean seed provides high-quality protein eggs that are easy to digest and absorb. It has appropriate carbohydrates and various vitamins, such as Vitamin B1. Vitamin B1 is responsible for maintaining the function of normal digestive gland secretion and gastrointestinal motility, helping digestion and increasing appetite. Mei Dou treats heat-dampness, vomiting, diarrhea, and spleen deficiency and is an ideal food for diabetics.

Optional Ingredients

• Chinese Honey Dates
• Goji Berries
• Red Dates
• Raw Peanuts

Most dry goods ingredients, tools and supplies can be purchased at your local Asian markets and Chinese grocery stores or Amazon Online.

Instructions

Soak the herbs for 5-10 minutes in a small bowl to remove traces of impurities. This will help remove dust and debris. Rinse and set aside in a small bowl.  

Wash and pat dry lotus roots. Cut the root vegetable into chunky thick pieces or round pieces, approximately 2 inches. 

Wash the pork ribs, pork shank or tenderloin with cold water and pat dry with a kitchen paper towel. It is only necessary to cut the pork ribs into small pieces if your pot needs to be bigger.

Blanched pork ribs in a medium pot to remove the impurities and excess foam. Rinse with cold water. Set aside.

To make the pork rib soup, add the lotus root slices, pork and herbal ingredients into a clean pot not made of stainless steel like THIS Perfect Pot or a Buydeem Health Beverage Maker. 

Although not all Chinese herbs react with metal, it is best not to use a metal pot when making Chinese medicinal herbal soups.

Fill a large pot of water with enough water to cover to make the clear soup stock. We used approximately 4 litres of cold water. 

Boil at high heat for 30 minutes, then reduce to low heat. Slow simmer for 60 minutes on low heat.

If you find your pot of soup is low in liquid, where most of the liquid has evaporated, add a bit of boiled hot water to the soup and continue cooking.

Salt to taste.

Serve and enjoy. 

Next time, buy extra lotus roots and braise them in a Instant Pot pressure cooker with slices of spare ribs to make a tender pot of Red Fermented Bean Curd Lotus Root Spareribs 南乳蓮藕炆排骨. It's a delicious main dish that takes a little time to prepare!

Other Delicious Soup Recipes

Find the harmony you miss with this delicious, immune-boosting, nutritious soup menu. Take back control of your mood and recharge energy levels by balancing your hormones and minerals. A bowl of nourishing soup is the quintessential embodiment of easily digestible southern Chinese cooking. 

• Ba Wong Fa Soup for Cough and Phlegm 霸王花無花果瘦肉響螺湯
• Wild Matsutake Morel and Cordyceps Mushroom Soup 松茸菇羊肚菌石斛養生湯
• Moisturizing Chinese Apple Sea Coconut Soup 雪梨蘋果海底椰玉竹無花果湯
• Chinese Papaya Dessert with Snow Fungus 木瓜雪耳糖水

What To Serve With Lotus Root and Pork Bone Soup

This great recipe is delicious umami-rich comfort food in Asian cuisines. It is perfect as a meal prep Fall dish. 

Enjoy this flavourful braised lotus root alone or as a one-pot dish meal prepped for the week! 

Complete the meal with the following delicious dishes.

• Stir-Fried Bean Sprouts and Chives 爆炒豆芽菜韭菜
• Fish Maw Crab Meat Soup 蟹肉魚肚羹 (鱼膘羹)
• Instant Pot Braised Chinese Mushrooms 髮菜炆冬菇食譜
• Microwave Soy Sauce Chicken Wings 豉油雞翅微波爐
• Chinese Tomato Egg Stir-fry 番茄炒蛋

After eating lots of heavy, rich, and deep-fried foods, a great way to reduce heat is with a bowl of this liver-detoxing Chinese Sweet Mung Bean Soup 綠豆沙 or Hawthorn Goji Berry Tea Digestion Tea 山楂杞子茶 that aids digestion.

I'd love to see how you went with my recipes! Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @INSTANOMSS #INSTANOMSS.

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