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Lotus Root and Peanuts with Pork Ribs Soup

Let's make this classic Chinese lotus root and peanuts soup at home with my recipe. This soup is so easy and yet so tasty you'll make it again and again.

Growing up, my Mom made us plenty of this Chinese lotus root and peanuts with pork ribs soup. She has this big planner to map out all the food she will be cooking for us every day. It’s pretty simple, basically one soup, one vegetable dish, and one meat dish per day. And this particular soup usually appears once every month. ♥

Lotus root, peanuts, pork spare ribs, and tomatoes are the ingredients needed to prepare Chinese lotus root and peanuts with pork ribs soup.
Lotus root, peanuts, pork spare ribs, and tomatoes are the ingredients needed to prepare Chinese lotus root and peanuts with pork ribs soup.

Ingredients to prepare Chinese lotus root and peanuts soup

You will only need a handful of ingredients to prepare this soup:

  • 1 section of fresh lotus root, usually around 400-500 grams.
  • 500 grams of pork spare ribs, or any cut that is suitable for soup. You can even use bone-in chicken if you prefer.
  • 200 gram dried peanuts, you will need to soak the peanuts for at least 2 hours prior to cooking the soup.
  • 2 tomatoes, cut into 4 wedges per tomato.
  • 1 dried squid/cuttlefish, this one is optional since it can be harder to find, but your Asian market should have it in their frozen section along with dried shrimps and dried salted fish. If you can get this, definitely add it to the soup since even just one tiny squid can add so much umami level to the soup.
A pot of freshly cooked Chinese lotus root and peanuts with pork ribs soup.
A pot of freshly cooked Chinese lotus root and peanuts with pork ribs soup.

How to prepare fresh lotus root

Fresh lotus roots look like tubes linked together like giant sausages. If you buy more than one section and they are still linked together, don’t separate the links until you need to cook them to preserve freshness. Here’s what you need to do to prepare your lotus root for cooking:

  1. Peel the skin with a vegetable peeler.
  2. Use a sharp knife, or a mandolin (if you have), and cut into thin slices. For making soup, I usually aim for 1 cm (about 1/2 inch) thick.
  3. Optional: if you do step 1 and 2 far in advance before you plan to cook the soup, you may want to soak the slices in some acidulated water bath (water + a little bit of acid such as lemon juice, lime juice, or vinegar) to prevent the root from browning.

What I love about lotus roots is that they look so plain and unassuming from the outside, but once you slice them up, they reveal their glorious beautiful pattern. So pretty, and so tasty too.

Chinese lotus root and peanuts with pork ribs soup.
Chinese lotus root and peanuts with pork ribs soup.

How to cook Chinese lotus root and peanuts soup

Please follow these steps to prepare the soup. You should get a broth that is flavorful and free of debris/scum!

  1. Boil a pot of water, then blanch the pork spare ribs for about 2 minutes. Drain the pork and discard the water. You may want to clean the pot a little to ensure the pot is free of scums.
  2. Return blanched pork to the clean pot, along with lotus root slices, peanuts, dried squid/cuttlefish (if using), salt, sugar, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer until both the lotus root and peanuts are tender, but still retain their crispiness. This usually takes about 1 hour.
  3. Add tomato wedges to the soup and cook for another 15 minutes.

And we are done! Very easy, right? Now you too can prepare this classic Chinese soup in your own home.

Chinese lotus root and peanuts with pork ribs soup.
Chinese lotus root and peanuts with pork ribs soup.

Lotus Root and Peanuts with Pork Ribs Soup

5.0 from 15 reviews

Author: Anita Jacobson

Categories: 

Cuisines: 

Ingredients:   

Prep Time: 2 hours

Cook Time: 1 hour 15 mins

Total Time: 3 hours 15 mins

Serves: 4

Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 500 gram (~ 1.1 lb.) pork spare ribs, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 section (about 400-500 gram / 1 lb.) fresh lotus root, peeled and cut into 1 cm (~ 1/2 inch) thick pieces
  • 200 gram (~ 7 oz.) dried peanut, soaked for at least 2 hours, washed and drained
  • 1 dried squid/cuttlefish, soaked for at least 30 minutes, washed and drained (Optional)
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 liter (8 cups) water
  • 2 tomatoes, cut each into quarters

Instructions

  1. Boil a pot of water in a soup pot. Blanch pork for about 2 minutes. Drain the pork and discard the water.
  2. Return blanched pork to the soup pot, along with lotus root slices, peanuts, dried squid/cuttlefish (if using), salt, sugar, and water.
  3. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer for 1 hour, or until the pork is fully cooked and the lotus root and peanut are tender but still crunchy.
  4. Add tomatoes and cook for another 15 minutes.
Indonesian Pantry
Indonesian Kitchen

Comments

  • Suzy Suzy says:

    This looks and sounds incredibly good! I love learning about new types of dishes to make!

  • Farah Farah says:

    Have never had lotus root and I'm so intrigued now! Love how exotic this recipe is thank you!

  • Michelle Miller Michelle Miller says:

    What a nice recipe for a great Asian inspired dinner. Very cool!

  • Amy Amy says:

    Wow this looks so warming and delicious, I need to try it!

  • Jo Allison Jo Allison says:

    Nice and hearty sounding soup. I've never had lotus root before but would love to try it.

  • Jessica Jessica says:

    What a beautiful and unique root! I'm so happy to have come across this recipe today. I love learning how to make tradiditonal dishes from around the world.

  • Beth Beth says:

    I have to admit that I have never tried this before or have seen it before but man it looks so good! And I bet the flavor is amazing.

  • veena Azmanov veena Azmanov says:

    This is such a unique combination. Very unusual specially the Lotus Root and Peanut with Pork Ribs. I cant wait to check on this awesome soup recipe.

  • Colleen Colleen says:

    I 've never used lotus root, so thanks for the info, and the soup looks delicious.

  • Jere Cassidy Jere Cassidy says:

    Ok I want a taste. I have seen lotus root before but have never had a chance to try it. The soup looks amazing.

  • Swathi Swathi says:

    I haven't tried fresh lotus root. This soup looks delicious I would love to check it out.

  • Jacqueline Meldrum Jacqueline Meldrum says:

    I've never tried lotus root but it always makes dishes look so pretty.

  • Charla Charla says:

    I'm saving this recipe for my sister in law as she LOVES anything with pork in it.

  • Natalie Natalie says:

    Wow, what a dish. I think I never tried anything like this, but I'm saving your recipe. It's way too interesting not to give it a try.

  • Kate Kate says:

    What an interesting combination of ingredients - lovely to have such an authentic Chinese recipe. So many beautiful flavours and textures in there - yum!

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