Description
Pickled mustard greens gone too sour? Turn them into this light, tangy Vietnamese pork rib soup that’s perfect with rice.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 lb pork spare ribs
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (I'm using vegetable oil)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3-4 cloves)
- 1/4 cup minced shallots
- 10 whole cherry tomatoes or 1 medium tomato (cut into thick wedges)
- 1 quart water
- 1 cup pickled mustard greens
- 1 cup pickled mustard green brine
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper and sprinkle more for garnish
- Handful thinly sliced cilantro or 1 green onion
Instructions
- Prepare the pork ribs: Separate the ribs by cutting between the bones. If they’re too large, chop them into bite-sized pieces using a meat cleaver. Rub the ribs with additional salt (about 1 teaspoon) to clean the surface, then rinse thoroughly with water and drain well. Set aside.
- Pan-fry the pork ribs: Add oil to a medium pot and heat over medium-high. Add the pork ribs, lightly season with some of the seasonings (the rest will go into the broth later), and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the outside of the pork ribs is lightly caramelized.
- Aromatics: Add chopped shallots and minced garlic to the pot. Stir and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add tomatoes and pan fry for about 2 minutes.
- Add the pickled mustard greens, water, and brine. Bring everything to a boil—this should take about 7 minutes. Once boiling, lower the heat and let it simmer gently for about 30 minutes, or until the ribs are tender. Skim off any foam on the surface to keep the broth clear.
- Season with remaining salt, fish sauce, sugar, and chicken bouillon powder. Adjust to your liking, if needed.
- Finish: Transfer the soup to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with freshly cracked black pepper, green onions, cilantro, and/or red chilies. Serve hot with steamed rice and one other protein side dish like for a complete Vietnamese family-style meal.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: side dish
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese