Lotus Root Soup Recipe: A Heart-Warming Soup!
When I was a child, lotus root soup was one of the most commonly made soups at home. This nourishing soup was a great relief during sick days when my tastebuds wouldn’t like spicy foods. I still make this soup following my mom’s recipe and am going to share the recipe with you.
This lotus root soup recipe requires only a handful of ingredients. As you need to slow-cook the pork, making the dish usually takes about 3-4 hours. But I will use a pressure cooker to speed things up. So, buckle up and learn to make this wonderful recipe to enjoy year-round.
Table of Contents
Lotus Root Soup Recipe Overview
Take a quick look at the prep time, cooking time, and calorie count of the lotus root soup recipe.
| Cuisine: Asian | Difficulty: Medium | ||
| Total Time: 2 hours | |||
| Serving | Preparation Time | Cooking Time | Calories |
| 6 persons | 1 hour | 1 hour | 176 kcal |
Ingredients Needed for the Lotus Root Soup Recipe
As I have already mentioned, lotus root soup recipe requires very few ingredients, lotus root and pork leg being two of them. Check the full list below and organize the items accordingly.
Main Ingredients for the Recipe
- Lotus Root: I will use 1 lb or about 450g of lotus root for the soup. This amount is good enough for six servings.
- Pork Leg: Use 2 lbs or about 900g of pork leg for the dish. You can also use pork ribs or shoulders in the soup. I believe the pork leg makes the soup tastier.
- Peanuts: Use about 100g of peanuts. You can use peanuts with the skin on, but peeling them will give a clearer soup.
- Ginger: 25g of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- Scallion: 2 sticks of scallion, finely chopped
- Cabbage: Use 50g of preserved cabbage to add some flavor and nutrients
- Coriander: Half a cup of chopped coriander will enhance the aroma of the soup.
Seasonings for the Recipe
- Salt: 2 tbsp
- White Pepper: 1 tsp, freshly ground
As you might see here, this dish uses very little seasonings and no oil will be used to make the soup. So, it is a much healthier choice when you need a hearty meal. Let’s get into the preparation and cooking.
Lotus Root Soup Recipe: Step-By-Step Instructions
As this dish takes a lot of time, you can prepare this beforehand and simply reheat it when necessary. In my opinion, soups taste even better the next day. Here are the detailed steps for making lotus root soup with pork leg.
Step 1: Blanch the Pork Leg and Clean It
This is a bit tricky. Cut the pork leg into 3-inch pieces. Put water in a large pot on the stove and bring the water to a boil. Then, turn the heat to a minimum to prevent the water from boiling further.
Add the cut pork legs to the water and blanch them for about one minute. After one minute, take the pork legs off and discard the water. Clean the legs thoroughly so that the soup doesn’t become cloudy.
Step 2: Beat the Lotus Root and Cut It
Many people like to cut the lotus root into small wheels to make the dish look better. But I prefer to beat the lotus root before cutting it. This way, the root releases more flavor, and the soup comes out delicious.
Cut the lotus root in half lengthwise. Lay it flat on the cutting board and pound it lightly with a cleaver. Then, make irregular slices to extract the maximum flavor out of the lotus root. Remember, you need to do this step just before you want to cook the soup. Otherwise, the lotus root will oxidize and turn darker.
Step 3: Cook the Lotus Root and Pork Legs
Put the cut lotus roots and blanched pork legs into a pressure cooker. Add your peeled peanuts to the cooker and pour enough water to submerge everything. Also, add 25g of sliced ginger. Then, add two tablespoons of salt to the cooker and close the lid.
Place the cooker on high heat for the first ten minutes. Then, turn the heat down to medium and let it cook for about 50 minutes.
Step 4: Check If the Pork Leg Is Done
After one hour, take the cooker off and cool it down by powering water over it. Remove the lid and check if the pork leg is soft enough. If not, you should close the lid and cook the pork leg for 20-30 more minutes.
Step 5: Add the Veggies and Aromatics
Remove the lid again carefully. Put the preserved cabbage into the cooker. Also, add the chopped coriander and freshly ground white pepper to the pot. Let everything simmer for a few minutes and your lotus root soup is ready to serve.
Step 6: Serve the Soup
After serving the soup with lotus roots and pork legs in a soup bowl, sprinkle the chopped scallions on top of the soup. It will enhance the fragrance. Enjoy a healthy bowl of soup now!
Nutrition Facts of Lotus Root Soup Recipe
With small amounts of carbohydrates and sugar, lotus root soup is packed with the necessary nutrients for our bodies. Remember, the actual amount of nutrients may vary depending on the ingredients you use. The following list of nutrients is for the recipe I shared.
- Total Carbohydrates: 7g
- Protein: 9g
- Total Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 6g
- Cholesterol: 42mg
- Sodium: 72mg
- Potassium: 338mg
- Total Dietary Fiber: 2g
- Total Sugar: 1g
- Vitamin A: 10IU
- Vitamin C: 16.8mg
- Calcium: 32mg
- Iron: 0.9mg
Lotus Root Soup Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- This is a bit tricky. Cut the pork leg into 3-inch pieces. Put water in a large pot on the stove and bring the water to a boil. Then, turn the heat to a minimum to prevent the water from boiling further.
- Add the cut pork legs to the water and blanch them for about one minute. After one minute, take the pork legs off and discard the water. Clean the legs thoroughly so that the soup doesn’t become cloudy.
- Many people like to cut the lotus root into small wheels to make the dish look better. But I prefer to beat the lotus root before cutting it. This way, the root releases more flavor, and the soup comes out delicious.
- Cut the lotus root in half lengthwise. Lay it flat on the cutting board and pound it lightly with a cleaver. Then, make irregular slices to extract the maximum flavor out of the lotus root. Remember, you need to do this step just before you want to cook the soup. Otherwise, the lotus root will oxidize and turn darker.
- Put the cut lotus roots and blanched pork legs into a pressure cooker. Add your peeled peanuts to the cooker and pour enough water to submerge everything. Also, add 25g of sliced ginger. Then, add two tablespoons of salt to the cooker and close the lid.
- Place the cooker on high heat for the first ten minutes. Then, turn the heat down to medium and let it cook for about 50 minutes.
- After one hour, take the cooker off and cool it down by powering water over it. Remove the lid and check if the pork leg is soft enough. If not, you should close the lid and cook the pork leg for 20-30 more minutes.
- Remove the lid again carefully. Put the preserved cabbage into the cooker. Also, add the chopped coriander and freshly ground white pepper to the pot. Let everything simmer for a few minutes and your lotus root soup is ready to serve.
- After serving the soup with lotus roots and pork legs in a soup bowl, sprinkle the chopped scallions on top of the soup. It will enhance the fragrance. Enjoy a healthy bowl of soup now!
FAQs
While lotus root soup is generally healthy, it might cause some discomfort for people with allergies or other problems. Check the answers to some frequently asked questions about lotus root soup.
Who can eat lotus root soup?
As no sugar is used in this recipe and the amount of salt is also low, lotus root soup is suitable for almost everyone. Especially if you have digestive problems, lotus root soup can help you overcome the situation.
What are the health benefits of lotus root soup?
Lotus root soup has multi-faceted health benefits. It helps in fighting indigestion or acid reflux. Lotus root soup is also effective for losing weight and boosting immunity. The minerals present in lotus root soup improve blood circulation and keep your heart healthy.
Is there any side effects of lotus root soup?
Bad breath is a common side effect of lotus root soup. You might also catch diarrhea as the water content in the soup is high. Some people might face allergic reactions, such as itching, sneezing, etc.
Can I eat lotus root raw?
If the lotus root is tender, you can eat it raw. But it doesn’t taste very good. And if the root is mature, it will taste bitter. So, I don’t recommend eating lotus root raw. The best way to eat lotus root is to boil or stir-fry it.
Conclusion
Lotus root soup with pork leg or pork rib is so delicious that you will consume bowl after bowl without getting bored. As the dish takes a lot of time to prepare, many people don’t want to make this soup nowadays. This is why I showed you the faster version of the recipe using a pressure cooker.
Try this lotus root soup recipe, especially in the winter, to warm your soul up. The mild flavor of the soup is so healing and comforting that you will crave more. Simple yet delicious dishes like this soup are at the heart of our Chinese cuisine.
