Watercress and Pork Soup (西洋菜湯 (Sai yeung choi tong))
Overview
Sai yeung choi tong is the Cantonese slow-cooked soup of watercress and pork. Pork bones and a piece of lean pork are blanched, then put in a large pot of water with a few dried figs or candied dates, sweet and bitter apricot kernels called nam bak hang, a piece of dried tangerine peel and sometimes dried duck gizzards. Fresh watercress is added once the water boils, and the soup is simmered gently for two hours or more until the leaves are very soft and the broth turns deep and gently sweet. It is seasoned only with salt, and the pork is eaten separately with soy sauce.
History
Watercress soup is one of the most popular lou foh tong, the slow-cooked soups that Cantonese families in Hong Kong and Guangdong prepare almost every day, simmering them for hours before dinner. In Cantonese food tradition watercress is considered cooling and soothing for the lungs, so the soup is cooked especially in the dry autumn and winter months. It is also served in many Hong Kong restaurants as the soup of the day.
Main ingredients
Watercress, pork bones, lean pork, dried figs, apricot kernels, dried tangerine peel. The soup is built on slow-cooked pork broth and is usually served hot. Diet: contains meat; not usually gluten-free.
Explore: Pork soups · More soups from Hong Kong
Recipe
Method
- 15 min
Blanch the pork bones and lean pork in boiling water for 5 minutes and rinse.
- 2
Bring 3 l water to the boil with the pork, figs, apricot kernels and tangerine peel.
- 3
Add the watercress and return to the boil.
- 42 h
Simmer gently, covered, for 2 hours.
- 5
Season with salt and serve the pork on the side with soy sauce.
- ✓
Serve. About 2h 45m from start to bowl.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
