There’s nothing better than a bowl of hot soup during cold and flu season — or god forbid, COVID-19 season. Due to everything that’s happening out there, I’ve been cooking more and more at home, so you will probably be seeing a lot of recipe posts these days. Anyhow, the Daikon and pork spareribs soup is a classic in every Taiwanese home, and I’ve created my own version. I added some carrots for extra sweetness, but simple Daikon and spareribs soup is also iconic. I love having a huge pot of this so I can eat it for days, so feel free to cut down on the portions if you want less.

Ingredients

Makes about 8 servings

• 2 lbs. of pork spareribs, cut into 2 inch segments — ask your butcher to spare yourself the labor

• 5 slices of peeled ginger, cut into 1/4 inch slices

• 3 cloves of garlic, smashed

• 1 1/2 lbs. of Daikon radish (approximately 1 large radish), peeled and chopped into large cubes

• 1/2 lb. of carrots, peeled and chopped into large cubes

• 12 cups of water

• 3 stalks of scallions for garnish, cleaned and chopped

• Salt to taste

• White pepper to taste (optional)

• A pinch of Hondashi powder (optional)

Directions

1. Start by parboiling your spareribs. This is a super important step, as it gets rid of all the blood that’s still in the meat and the marrow and gives you a delicious, clear broth at the end. Parboil by placing the ginger, garlic, and spareribs into a soup pot and cover with water. Bring the pot to a roiling boil for approximately eight minutes, skimming off the scum that rises to the surface.

2. Take out your spareribs and wash under clean water until all of the scum is cleaned off. Discard your parboil water. Next, place the pork back into the pot, along with the Daikon radish, carrots, and water. Bring to a boil and cover. Lower heat to a simmer for an hour, or until your carrots and Daikon are soft.

3. Next, season with salt to taste. You can also add in some Hondashi and white pepper if you want, but honestly, it’s delicious with just salt. Garnish with scallions and serve.

Seriously, this soup couldn’t be easier to make Hope you guys enjoy it. And as always, if you make it, post a pic and tag me!

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(Featured photo: Kimberly Wang)