Name: The Soup of Plenty (Lotus Root Soup with Pork)
Cuisine: China
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon sesame oil; 1¼ pounds fresh lotus root, washed thoroughly and left whole; 1–1½ teaspoons salt; ½ teaspoon sugar; 1 tablespoon Chicken Broth; 1 clove garlic, peeled; 8 cups cold water; ½ teaspoon minced hot chili peppers; 1 tablespoon red vinegar; 1 slice ginger, ½ inch thick; 1½ tablespoons light soy sauce; 1 teaspoon minced scallions; 1½ pounds fresh pork butt, left whole; 1 tablespoon light soy sauce; 2 scallions, washed, dried, with both ends trimmed, and finely chopped

Preparation info

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Eileen Yin-fei Lo's New Cantonese Cooking

By Eileen Yin-Fei Lo

Published 1988

About

This soup is a Lunar New Year tradition, and a play on words is what makes the tradition. The words for “lotus root” are lin ngau, which are almost identical to lin yau, which to the Cantonese means that each year one should achieve more. Thus the soup is a New Year greeting. The Cantonese also believe that the holes in the lotus root indicate that one should think things through. A meaningful soup indeed.