White Asian radish and pork rib soup

Last Updated on January 21, 2022 by Simon Fan

In colder months, white Asian radish (also known as daikon or mooli) reaches its peak season and tastes especially sweet and tender. That’s why it appears frequently in soups, stews, and braises across China during this season.

Besides the taste, eating white Asian radish in the winter brings more health benefits. The cooling properties of the radish help balance the accumulated heat in our bodies in cold weather. It’s also thought to help fight cough and cold.

This tasty soup I’m sharing with you here is easy to make and utterly warming and satisfying when it’s cold outside. You can try other variations too. For example, trade the pork for chicken if you like, or use green radish instead of the white variety to make the soup (see this post). For a meatless version, simmer the radish with mushrooms—one of my favorite vegetarian soups!

White Asian radish and pork rib soup

Serves 2

Ingredients

9 oz (255 g) white Asian 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
Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Directions

1. Half or quarter the radish lengthwise depending on the size, then cut each section crosswise into ¼-inch (6 mm) slices.
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 running water to remove any scum.
3. In a soup pot, combine the pork ribs, scallion white, ginger, wine, and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Skim off any surface scum. Cover and cook until the ribs are tender, about 45 minutes. Discard the scallion and add the radish. Continue simmering, covered, until the radish is tender, about 10 minutes.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with the scallion green and serve right away.