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This past holiday season, I ate a lot, in fact, way too much. After all those festive meals, heavy big-fish-big-meat (大鱼大肉) and crazy seafood consumptions, I crave for something very simple, homey, and economical–and this lotus root soup came to my rescue…
Recently, when I was dining out at a Cantonese-style restaurant and had their daily soup (老火汤), I saw these dried honey dates (蜜枣) in the residue of the soup. After much asking around, I learned that this is the secret ingredient that Cantonese cooks use when they make their soup. (Cantonese people, especially those in Hong Kong, are famed for stewing up very tasty soups.)
The secret ingredient sure didn’t disappoint. I have never made such savory soup before. The taste of the pork ribs complimented the sweetness of these dried honey dates and the end result was a very light, pleasing, and refreshing soup that I just couldn’t stop sipping.
It’s time to take a break from fancy meals; it feels (and tastes) really good to be back to the basics.
Ingredients:
1 lb lean pork ribs
1 lotus root
2 dried honey dates
8-10 dried red dates
6 cups water
Salt to taste
Method:
Cut the pork ribs into short lengths and set aside. Peel off the skin of lotus root and cut into slices. Soak the dried honey dates and dried red dates in warm water for 5 minutes. Bring the pot of water to boil and add in all the ingredients. Cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour or until well cooked. Add salt to taste.
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{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
i am lucky. my mum made this soup once in a while and i love it. i specially love the lotus root but i don’t take the pork rib! hey, my mum also add another ingredient… what is it call… those small red bean-like pieces which is said to be good for eyesight - don’t think it is the dried red dates.
btw, i am sucker for soup… but the thing is most of the time i take the soup only and do not take the ingredients.
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what a good choice to drive away those cold winter blues :)
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Mmmm… Good choice of ingredients. I can practically taste the soup.
- Chubbypanda
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this soup always makes me homesick. I love it with dried oysters and dried cuttlefish too!
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Looks like everyone ate a lot. I need my soup too.
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i think my mom has made some dishes w/ lotus root before..it taste good. :)
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Mmm…Yummy. My moms latest craze is throwing some dried longans into soups. That’s on my shopping list for my CNY trip back home.
Lucia : Ang-Cho, I think that’s what the red bean pieces are called.
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Is ang-cho same as kei-chi (wolfberries)? Ahhhhh….I always knew abt the red dates..but nvr in my life thought of Honey dates! Now, I must try! Thanks again!
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My mom loves putting honey dates in soups. Works will with the longan, snow flower, red dates and rasins tong sui too!
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I love this soup but I’ve never tried putting in honey dates, perhaps I’ll try it the next time :)
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Lucia : I believe those small read bean pieces, good for the eye sight thingy are called “kei Chee”
Mott : Ang cho are red dates and kei chee is wolfberries.
BY : You got the secret ingredient absolutely correct … they are very sweet indeed and are also used in “Thong Sui”. Can’t put too much in the savoury soup or it will taste slightly off.
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I will never find this kind of aliments here in Europe….I have to go once more time in Malaysia to test that ;-)
Cheers
Claude
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Lotus roots. As kids, we would call them “bay gor lon”. In cantonese, it directly translates into nostrils. A soup that reminds me of my childhood.
Yummo!
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The soup looks so nourishing! I need to go look for honey dates now! *scurries off*
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Lucia - you are just like me…I just eat the lotus root; I don’t eat the pork ribs (just use them for flavoring). The red thingy is called Kee Chee (wolf berries / goji berries).
Melting Wok - your water-cress soup looks delish!
CP - Or you can just drink it from the screen. :P
Kristel - Yes yes, dried oysters or dried cuttlefish goes very well with this soup (or any soup in my opinion). I don’t have any of them at home or I would have put them in.
Tigerfish - what you are waiting for, go cook fast!
Budding Cook - or you can try my recipe and cook for your mom and impress her. :P
Unkaleong - Somehow I do not like dried longan in my savory soup; I like them in desserts though. BTW, those are not Ang Cho or dried red dates lah. They are called Kee Chee (in Hokkien) or Kei Chee (in Cantonese).
Teckiee- will try it with desserts.
Linnish - yep, I think you would love it.
Audrey - I agree…just use a couple (the most) and don’t overboil the soup.
Claude-Olivier - thanks for visiting Rasa Malaysia, and yes, you need to go back to Malaysia, it’s Visit Malaysia Year 2007!
Munted Kowhai - I loved playing with the lotus slices when I was little…they are great for painting…just dip them in some water color and stamp them on papers. ;)
Simcooks - cool. You and Tigerfish will have to move down to SoCal (it’s a lot more fun here anyway!) and we (Melting Wok, Budding Cook, etc.) can have a big cookout!!! Good idea? :)
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I agree with just eating the lotus root. It absorbs all of the flavors and is so tender that it is the best part of the soup!
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Bee, I just got of the phone with mom. She went, “Why you wanna boil soup ah? Ask so many questions…” Heheheh.
Apologies on getting my ingredients mixed up!
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I married into a Hong kong cantonese family and their version of Lotus root soup is to add a couple of dried cuttlefish. Try it. Gives it a deeper taste!
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wolfberries.
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I don´t eat the lotus root, but love the soup. Actually I only drink the soup and eat the pork ribs. That´s about it. I´m SO happy! Went to the asian store today and found the “honey dates”! I wasn´t looking for it, but suddenly I saw smth that looked vaguely similar to the pix I saw here and thought…BOY! ITs the same! Saw the chinese words and was so happy that I finally found the “secret ingredient”! Can´t wait to try it together with the secret ingredient! How many grams is one lotus root normally? I bought the frozen type, that is all cut up…so have no idea how many lotus root that is.
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can peanut be added into the soup??
i think i saw some with peanuts too.
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Lotus soup always reminds me of playing ’spider-web’ thingy when I was a young boy. The lotus has these thread-like thingy when it’s bitten off the chunk. I like to add the dried cuttlefish to add ooomph, plus the kei chee & red dates. I haven’t tried honey dates, must give a go. RM, can come up with more local Penang soups which I’ve lost through the passage of time cos been too long in Australia, Philippines & Singapore?
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Daniel - soups are probably toughest to photograph. That’s why I haven’t posted much. Keep reading as I try to make and photograph better soups :) Thanks for the support!
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i have never tryed asian food before but i would love to. you should try Kurdish food its really nice.
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Banaz replied:
Banaz that is cool man
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My mum taught me how to make this soup. We add dried cuttlefish and some dried salted turnip to it minus the honey dates. I make it in the slow cooker 3 - 4 hours. Beautiful smell and taste so good!
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