Green radish and pork rib soup

Last Updated on January 21, 2022 by Simon Fan

Radishes are incredibly diverse and come in many different shapes, colors, and sizes. Among my favorite ones are three unique varieties from China: the legendary China Rose, the strikingly beautiful watermelon radish, and green radish—the star of today’s recipe.

Originated in northern China and prized for its sweet, mild flavor, green radish (qing luo bo 青萝卜 in Mandarin) is now grown in many parts of the world. Green radish is so named because its skin has a leafy-green color that changes gradually to white near the lower tip. Inside, its jade-green flesh is sweet and juicy, with a hint of pungency. During cold weather, it becomes extra juicy and flavorful.

Green radish can be used very much the same way as white radish (aka daikon), though it has a distinctive flavor. It’s excellent eaten raw in a salad, pickled, stir-fried, or added to soups or stews—my favorite way of cooking it.

You can find green radish at Chinese, Korean, and Japanese grocery stores and possibly at your local farmers’ market.

Cooking green radish without peeling it is a good way to preserve the color and flavor concentrated in its skin. If you’re looking for a more refined presentation, you can carefully peel the superficial thin layer just to reveal the bright green color, as I do in the recipe below, in which it’s cooked with pork ribs and goji berries to make a warming and aromatic soup, perfect for cold weather.

Green radish and pork rib soup

Serves 2

Ingredients

9 oz (255 g) green radish
12 oz (340 g) pork ribs, cut through the bones into 1-inch (2.5 cm) slabs by your butcher
1 scallion, white and green parts separate and green part thinly sliced
1-inch (2.5 cm) piece of ginger, sliced
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
3 cups (710 ml) water
10 goji berries
Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Directions

1. Use a peeler to remove the superficial peel of the radish to reveal the bright green layer underneath. Quarter the radish lengthwise, then cut each section crosswise into ½-inch-thick (1.3 cm) pieces.
2. Cut the ribs through the meat between the bones into small pieces. Blanch them in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water to remove any scum.
3. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cover and cook, removing surface scum from time to time, until the pork ribs are tender, about 45 minutes. Discard the scallion and add the radish and goji berries. Continue simmering, covered, until the radish has just turned tender, about 15 minutes. Avoid overcooking the radish or it will turn grayish and mushy.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with the scallion green and serve right away.