Vietnamese Pork Spare Rib Soup
A warm, hearty and light soup that is an integral part of a nice Vietnamese family meal. It's cheap, easy and super customizable. Grandma's special - the smell and taste always brings this chattini back to childhood.
PrepPrep Time
15 min
CookCook Time
50 min
DiffDifficulty
Easy
Equipment
- Medium pot
- Ladle or spoon for skimming
- Knife and cutting board
Ingredients
Substitutions
- Cauliflower Broccoli, cabbage, zucchini, or chayote
- Pork spare ribs Any bone-in pork pieces
- Potatoes Any root vegetable you have on hand
Instructions
Sauté the aromatics
In a medium pot, add vegetable oil on high heat. Add the whites of scallions, minced shallots, and minced garlic. Fry until fragrant (about 20 seconds).
Brown the ribs
Add pork ribs and toss with the aromatics for about a minute.
Simmer the broth
Add water and bring to a low simmer. Cook for about 40 minutes, skimming off all the scum that rises to the top.
Add carrots
Add the carrots and cook for 5 minutes or until softened.
Season the soup
Add fish sauce, salt, chicken bouillon powder, and ground black pepper. Taste and adjust as needed.
Add remaining vegetables
Add the potatoes and cauliflower. Cook for another 5 minutes or until tender.
Garnish and serve
Garnish with the green parts of scallions. Serve hot with rice.
Chef's Notes
Grandma’s Wisdom: This is literally the “put whatever you have in and it’ll still be good” food. It’s easy to clean up too since all you need is a pot and a ladle to skim off the impurities.
Feel free to substitute, take out, or add in whatever veggies you like - broccoli, cabbage, zucchini, chayotes, whatever’s in season or on sale!
Pro Tip: Dipping the meat in fish sauce makes it much better!