Hooray!!! I managed to get bak kut (pork spare ribs) and crave for soup. Went to look for vegetables and this Traditional herbal soup packet caught my attention. Since I have not tried it and it looks easy to make, why not try and see for myself what does it taste like.

I forgot to get vegetables. Luckily, I still have some napa cabbage in my fridge and I decided to add it in to make one pot dish to have with rice. It sure brings back memories of Grandma herbal soup except that grandma’s soup are more herbal flavour than the packet.

I got the butcher to cut bak kut, I wanted about two inches cube, but he cut it so long, probably misunderstood me as he doesn’t speak English and I don’t speak fluent Mandarin. Loss touch of speaking since Covid as I learnt from my friends how to speak Mandarin. At least I have long strips bak kut for my soup, it’s delicious, can taste traditional herbal flavour and bak kut is soft fall off the bone. Let’s cook!!!

Ingredients

1 packet Traditional herbal mix
1 kg bak kut (pork spare ribs)
1500 ml water
3 whole garlic
1 Tbs dark soy sauce
2 Tbs light soy sauce
1 Tsp oyster sauce
8 napa cabbage, cut into bite size
salt to taste

Method

Wash the bak kut and boil in a pot of water to get rid of fats and gunk’s for 20 minutes. Got to be safe also it has been lying on the tray don’t know for how long and with covid going on. Rinse in cold water twice. Wash the pot clean before adding water. Bring 1500 ml water to the boil in pot for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes add the 2 filter bags of Traditional herbal mix and garlic into the boiling water cook for 30 minutes. Then add bak kut, cover with lid and simmer over medium heat for 1 and a half hours. After 1 hour, open the lid add in napa cabbage leaves, gives a stir or two to mix well.

After 1 and a half time up, add all the sauces and salt to taste. Serve with rice and a glass of white wine. Enjoy!!!!

Note: You can add goji berries, gingko, and dried scallops. Also, you may want to use chicken or beef instead of bak kut. You can omit napa cabbage.

https://helenscchin.com/2022/02/11/traditional-herbal-bak-kut-and-vegetables-soup/

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