Lotus Root Soup with Pork Rib (Canh Suon Cu Sen)

Ingredients

• 16 oz peeled lotus root
• half a lime ((or 1 teaspoon of vinegar))
• 4½ - 5 cups water ((plus more to parboil the ribs))
• 21 oz pork ribs
• 1 teaspoon salt ((to taste))
• 8 jujube dates, rinsed and seeds removed ((also called red dates))

Steps

1. 1

   Peel lotus root and slice into ¼-⅓ inch (about 7-8mm) thick pieces or cut into chunks with the same thickness. Once peeled or cut, soak lotus root in a bowl of cold water with the juice from half a lime (or some vinegar) to prevent it from turning brown.

2. 2

   Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the pork ribs. Parboil for a couple of minutes, then drain and rinse the ribs.

3. 3

   To a clean pot, add 4½ - 5 cups (1100 - 1200ml) of water and bring to a simmer. Add salt, pork ribs, lotus root and jujube dates.

4. 4

   Bring to a boil and skim off foam if needed. Then lower the heat, cover the pot and simmer for about 90 minutes or until the ribs are tender.

5. 5

   Taste and adjust to your liking. Transfer to serving bowls and serve right away.