Description
Nothing reminds me more of home than a warm bowl of soup. Here is a classic Vietnamese soup made with short pieces of pork ribs and opo squash. Enjoy with steamed rice for a complete meal.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 lb pork spare ribs (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 1 small opo squash (peel and cut into thick matchsticks)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 shallot (peel and slice thin)
- 3 garlic cloves (peel and slice thin)
- 1 1/2 quarts water
- 2 1/2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon granulated cane sugar
- 4 sprigs cilantro (slice thin)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Toast aromatics: In a medium pot, add oil and heat on high. Add shallots and garlic. Fry until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- Add pork ribs and toss in the aromatics. Pan fry for 2 minutes or until nicely caramelized on the outside. Add half of the seasonings directly onto the pork ribs: chicken bouillon powder, salt, fish sauce, and sugar. Toss to coat.
- Add water. Bring the pot to a low simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until pork ribs are chopstick tender. Skim off the impurities at the top. You can also remove the aromatics as they already served their purpose.
- Add squash. Cook for an additional 2 minutes or until squash is tender. Add remaining seasonings to taste. Garnish with cilantro and ground black pepper.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 34 minutes
- Category: side dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: asian, vietnamese