Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Dried Cabbage Monk Fruit Lean Pork Soup
白菜乾羅漢果瘦肉湯
Recipe overview
Dried Cabbage Monk Fruit Lean Pork Soup is a gentle Hong Kong home soup with a mild natural sweetness from monk fruit. It is suitable for children and elderly family members. The dried cabbage must be soaked and washed well, the lean pork should be blanched first, and the amount of monk fruit should be controlled so the soup does not become too sweet or too dark. The soup needs no chicken powder or sugar and should finish clear, brown-golden, sweet, and not oily.
01
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 60g dried cabbage
- 1/4 to 1/2 monk fruit
- 350g lean pork
- 1 tablespoon sweet and bitter apricot kernels
- 1 candied date
- 1 small piece dried tangerine peel
- 2 slices ginger
- 1800ml 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
- Scissors
03
Steps
Step 1
Prepare ingredients
Prepare dried cabbage, monk fruit, lean pork, apricot kernels, candied date, dried tangerine peel, and ginger. Check that the dried cabbage is clean and has no strange smell.
Step 2
Soak and wash dried cabbage
Soak dried cabbage in water for 15-20 minutes until soft, changing water once or twice. Wash patiently because dried cabbage can hide sand.
Step 3
Cut dried cabbage
Cut the softened dried cabbage into easy-to-eat sections and squeeze out extra water. Do not cut too finely.
Step 4
Prepare monk fruit
Rinse monk fruit gently and use 1/4 to 1/2 piece. For the first try, use 1/4 piece to avoid an overly sweet soup.
Step 5
Rinse dried ingredients
Rinse apricot kernels, candied date, and tangerine peel. Soak the peel and scrape off the white pith to reduce bitterness.
Step 6
Cut lean pork
Rinse lean pork and cut into large pieces so it will not fall apart after simmering.
Step 7
Blanch lean pork
Boil water in a small pot. Add lean pork and ginger slices and blanch for 2-3 minutes to remove blood and foam.
Step 8
Rinse blanched pork
Remove the pork and rinse away surface foam. This keeps the soup clearer and reduces meaty smell.
Step 9
Add water and soup ingredients
Add 1800ml water to the soup pot, then add pork, ginger, dried cabbage, apricot kernels, candied date, tangerine peel, and monk fruit.
Step 10
Simmer soup
Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for 45-50 minutes. Skim foam if needed.
Step 11
Season and taste soup
Add a little salt before turning off the heat and taste first. Monk fruit is naturally sweet, so no sugar or chicken powder is needed.
Step 12
Serve monk fruit soup
Ladle into bowls with dried cabbage and lean pork. The soup should be naturally brown-golden, clear, sweet, and soothing.
Common mistakes
- Dried cabbage is not washed well, leaving sand or off smell.
- Too much monk fruit makes the soup too sweet and too dark.
- The white pith of tangerine peel is not scraped away, making the soup bitter.
- Pork is not blanched, making the soup cloudy and meaty.
- Boiling hard for too long makes the soup cloudy.
- Adding sugar or chicken powder spoils the natural sweetness.
Tips
Washing dried cabbage well is the most important step. Monk fruit is very sweet, so use less the first time. Blanch lean pork first for a clear soup. Taste before serving and ask Ma'am or Sir whether a little more salt is needed.
