Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Chayote Carrot Pork Shank Soup
合掌瓜紅蘿蔔豬展湯
Recipe overview
This is a clear and naturally sweet Hong Kong home soup. Chayote and carrot give a gentle sweetness, while pork shank is leaner than pork bones and easy to handle. It helps helpers practise blanching pork, cutting vegetables into large pieces, and simmering soup over steady medium-low heat.
01
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 2 chayotes
- 1 carrot
- 400 g pork shank
- 1 candied date
- 1 tablespoon north and south apricot kernels
- 2 slices ginger
- 1800 ml water
- a little salt
Seasoning
- 1/3 teaspoon salt, or adjust to family taste
02
Tools
- Small pot
- Chopping board
- Knife
- Soup ladle
- Bowls
- Slotted spoon
- Measuring cup
03
Steps
Step 1
Prepare ingredients
Prepare chayote, carrot, pork shank, honey date, apricot kernels, and ginger.
Step 2
Rinse dried ingredients
Rinse honey date and apricot kernels, soak for five minutes, and drain.
Step 3
Cut pork shank
Rinse pork shank and cut into large pieces so it will not fall apart.
Step 4
Blanch pork shank
Boil water in a small pot, add pork shank and ginger, and blanch for three minutes.
Step 5
Rinse blanched pork
Remove the pork and rinse off foam so the soup stays clear.
Step 6
Cut and core chayote
Wash chayote, cut it open, remove the core, and cut into large pieces.
Step 7
Cut carrot
Peel carrot and cut into large pieces so it does not become mushy.
Step 8
Add water and soup base
Add 1800ml water to a soup pot with pork, ginger, honey date, and apricot kernels.
Step 9
Simmer pork broth
Bring to a boil, turn to medium-low heat, and simmer for 20 minutes while skimming foam.
Step 10
Add chayote and carrot
Add chayote and carrot, then simmer for 30 to 35 minutes over medium-low heat.
Step 11
Season and taste soup
Add a little salt before turning off the heat, taste first, and adjust lightly.
Step 12
Serve clear soup
Serve the clear soup with chayote, carrot, and pork shank in bowls.
Common mistakes
- Pork shank is not blanched, so the soup becomes cloudy.
- Chayote is not cored and the texture is unpleasant.
- Vegetables are cut too small and fall apart.
- Boiling hard for too long makes the soup cloudy.
- Too much salt covers the natural sweetness.
- Chicken powder or sugar makes the soup lose its clean home-style taste.
Tips
Keep the soup clear, sweet, and not oily. Blanch the pork shank first, core the chayote, cut carrot into large pieces, and simmer over medium-low heat. Taste before adding more salt.
