Chinese Herbs Soup Series - Four Herbs Pork Ribs Soup
Welcome to our first recipes of ‘Chinese Herbs Soup Series‘ on Bubble Foodex!
From the Qing Dynasty to your kitchen – a royal blend of herbs and flavours
Discover the comfort of this nourishing pork ribs soup recipe
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About Chinese Herbs Soup Series & Origin of the Four Herb Pork Ribs Soup
Tips for Selecting Ingredients (including where you can get them)
Detailed Step-By-Step Guidance (with photos for each step)
Four Herbs Pork Ribs Soup - Try Today 😋
Soup is a big part of family meals in Taiwan. When I was a kid, our dinners always had three dishes, a soup, and rice. I have always loved soup—especially light broths, which are not only tasty but can also help with weight loss.
In Taiwanese cooking, there are many soups made with Chinese herbs. A famous one you might know is Ginseng Chicken Soup (I will share that recipe later in this series!). These herbal soups are healthy, full of flavour, and perfect for sharing. I am so excited to introduce them to you!
If the herbs seem unfamiliar at first, don’t worry—I will explain their health benefits and show you exactly what they look like. I will also include tips on where to buy them to make things easier.
I chose Four Herbs Pork Ribs Soup to kick off this series because it is a common and simple soup in Taiwan. It is easy to make, budget-friendly, and has an interesting story behind it. I cannot wait to share it with you!
The Emperor’s Journey and the Creation of Four Herbs Soup
During the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Qianlong travelled to Southern China to visit the people and check on the region’s prosperity. However, the humid climate made him and his team feel tired and weak and caused digestion problems.
To help, a palace doctor prepared a special soup using four herbs: Fu Ling (Poria cocos also called Indian buead), Shan Yao (Chinese yam), Lian Zi (lotus seeds), and Qian Shi (Gordon euryale seeds). These herbs were chosen to boost digestion, strengthen the body, and fight the effects of the humid weather. The soup worked well, restoring the emperor’s energy and health.
Healing the Emperor and Becoming a Dish Fit for Royalty
The emperor drank the soup every day and felt much better. His energy returned, his digestion improved, and he enjoyed the soup’s mild taste. It became a regular part of his meals for the rest of the journey, helping him and his team stay healthy and complete their mission. When the emperor returned to the Forbidden City, he ordered the recipe to be written down and shared with the palace kitchens. The soup quickly became popular in the palace.
Please remember: While Chinese herbal soups are beneficial for health, they are similar to herbal teas or traditional foods common in both Western and Eastern cultures. They should not be used as medicine. If you have any health concerns, it's important to consult a doctor.
Health Benefits: Good protein, low GI carbohydrate, packed with antioxidants, vitamins and dietary minerals
Below are the general health features of these herbs (Note: the links are the reference):
Lotus seeds (Mandarin: Lian Zi): Lotus seeds are one of my favourite ingredients for both desserts and soups—so versatile and delicious, hahaha! 😊 These edible seeds from the lotus plant are a staple in Asian cuisine, easily fitting into both savoury and sweet dishes like soups and desserts. They’re not just tasty but also super nutritious! Lotus seeds are a low-GI food packed with protein, B vitamins, and essential minerals. They’re great for heart health and can even help improve sleep. Perfect for adding a healthy twist to your meals! 🌸
(Chinese) Yam (Mandarin: Shan Yao): They are common in both fresh and dried form. I recommend using the dried one because it is easy to obtain in Asian supermarkets. You can find them in the vegetable shop from time to time, but not too often. It supports digestion and benefits the lungs.
Gordon Euryale Seed (Mandarin: Qian Shi): It’s also called fox nut and tastes great in this four-herb soup, hahaha. They look like tiny popcorn when cooked. They’re good for the kidneys and spleen and can help with diarrhoea.
Indian Buead (Mandarin: Fu Ling): Also called poria cocos. It is usually sold in two forms—cubed and sliced. According to the staff at Chinese medicine shops, they’re the same ingredient, just cut differently. It supports kidney health and digestion by promoting urination, reducing dampness, strengthening the spleen and stomach, and calming the mind.
Goji berry (babury wolfberry fruit): Gogi berry is one of the most widely used ingredients in Taiwanese foods, including soup, dishes, and desserts. You will see them a lot in the recipes on Bubble Foodex! They are famous for being rich in antioxidants and supporting our eye health.
Difficulty: easy
Times: at leat 30 minutes for soaking herbs, 15 minutes for preparation & 40 minutes for simmering
Serves: 4-5
Give it a go! Four herbs pork ribs soup recipe.
Ingredients:
Pork ribs: 384g (around 2 strips)
Pork stomach tips: 1 (around 135g) (optional: can be changed to pork ribs)
Note: if you do not eat pork, you can change pork ribs and pork stomach tips to the same amount of chicken (around 500g).
Lotus seeds: 35g
(Chinese) Yam: 35g
Gordon Euryale Seed (fox nuts): 35g
Indian Buead (poria cocos): 35g
Ginger: 17g
Water: 1.5L
Cooking wine: 200ml
Salt: 1/2 tsp (adjust as personal preference)
Ground black pepper: 1/4 tsp (optional)
Tips for selecting ingredients
Pork ribs: If you are in Australia, I recommend buying pork ribs from a butcher instead of Coles or Woolworths. Ask the butcher to cut the ribs into thinner strips for you. Different types of pork ribs are available, but I suggest choosing American ribs over meat ribs, as meat ribs tend to be fattier and can make the soup quite greasy. You can also try soft bone ribs, but personally, I prefer American ribs.
Pork stomach tips: In Australia, you can find pork stomach tips at butcher shops, but I haven’t seen them at Coles or Woolworths. Keep in mind that pork belly tips and pork stomachs are not the same. Pork belly tips come from the ends of the pork stomach and are chewier than pork belly. You can use a pork stomach instead if you prefer a softer texture. Also, pork belly is larger than pork stomach tips. If you’re not a fan of pork stomach tips, you can replace them with the same amount of pork ribs. This Four Herbs Pork Ribs Soup will still taste amazing!
Chinese herbs: If you are in Australia, you can easily find them in the dried food section of Asian supermarkets. They are inexpensive and sold in small packages, so no need to worry about having too many leftovers in your pantry. These herbs are staples in many Chinese herbal soups, which is a featured series on Bubble Foodex! You can also buy these herbs from traditional Chinese medicine shops, where you can get the exact amount needed for this Four Herbs Pork Ribs Soup recipe.
Cooking wine: For choosing cooking wine, Taiwanese people traditionally use cooking rice wine. You can find them in the Asian supermarkets. Alternatively, you can use white grape wine because it works very well in many Taiwanese and Asian cuisines. You do not need expensive white grape wine. A cheap white grape wine in a Bottle shop or any liquor shop will work. That is one of the reasons I switched from a cooking rice wine to a cheap white grape wine because they are cheaper.
Quick-Step snapshot for the four herbs pork ribs soup recipe
Soak herbs: Soak lotus seeds, Indian breadnuts, gordon euryale seeds, and Chinese yam for at least 30 mins–1 hr (or overnight in the fridge).
Prep pork: Boil pork ribs and stomach tip in cold water (pot uncovered). Rinse, then cut pork ribs into chunks and slice the pork stomach tip.
Slice ginger into thinner pieces.
Cook: Add water, ginger, pork, and herbs to a pot. Boil it, then simmer for 20 mins.
Season: Add cooking wine, goji berries, black pepper, and cook for 10–20 mins.
Finish: Add salt, skim off oil, and serve!
Enjoy fresh or store overnight for richer flavour!
Detailed Step-by-Step Guidences
Prepare Ingredients:
1. Soak lotus seed, Indean bueads, gordon euryale seed, Chinese Yam for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour.
This step is crucial as it softens these ingredients, allowing them to cook faster and become tender more easily.
If you plan to make this soup after work, you can soak them in water and store them in the fridge the night before. It’s perfectly fine to leave these herbs soaking overnight.
2. Important! Clean and boil pork ribs and the pork stomach tip:
Place the raw pork ribs and pork stomach tip in a pot of cold water, then bring it to a boil over medium heat. Avoid covering the pot with a lid.
Once the water comes to a boil, turn off the heat. Use a strainer to transfer the pork ribs and stomach tip to another pot, and rinse them under cold water.
Cut the pork ribs into small chunks and slice the pork stomach tip into 1 cm thick pieces.
Note: This step is essential to remove any unpleasant odour, excess blood, and impurities from the pork ribs and stomach tip.
5. Slice gingers into thinner pieces.
Slicing the ginger thinly helps release its flavour and aroma more effectively while cooking.
Start cooking!
6. Add water, sliced ginger, small pork ribs, sliced pork stomach tips, and four key herbs - lotus seed, Indian beads, Gordon euryale seed and Chinese Yam to the pot.
Make sure the water level is slightly above all ingredients.
7. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Then, reduce to medium-low heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
Ensure the water stays at a steady boil without bubbling too much
8. Add cooking wine, goji berries and black pepper. Keep cooking it for another 10 or 20 minutes for a softer taste.
We add cooking wine and goji berries later to preserve the wine’s aroma and prevent the goji berries from overcooking.
The Four Herbs Pork Rib Soup will be ready after 10 more minutes of cooking. However, if you prefer softer pork ribs like I do, cook it for an extra 20 minutes.
Tip: If the water level drops below the ingredients, simply add more water to cover them in this step.
9. Add salt and black pepper and use a spoon to skim away the oil floated above the soup.
It’s normal that pork ribs release some oil while boiling. I recommend skimming it off with a spoon to keep the soup lighter.
Alternatively, if you plan to enjoy the Four Herbs Pork Ribs Soup the next day, store it in the fridge. The oil will solidify on the surface, making it easy to remove before reheating the soup.
10. Ready to serve!
If you don’t finish the whole pot of soup, don’t worry—save it for your next meal! The broth will develop a deeper, richer flavour after being stored in the fridge overnight.
This Four Herbs Pork Ribs Soup is packed with protein and low-GI carbohydrates. I love pairing it with a plate of steamed broccoli or stir-fried vegetables. It makes a simple, light, and healthy dinner!
Chinese Herbs Soup Series Recipe - Four Herbs Pork Rib Soup!
As mentioned at the top, this four herbs pork ribs soup is very healthy. I love making soup, especially herbs soups. This is the very first recipes the Chinese herbs soup series. I cannot wait to share with you more! I believe this four herbs pork ribs soup can be a very new food adventure for lots of you. I would love to hear your experience about it.