Name: Pork Sparerib and Pickled Mustard Green Soup (Canh Sườn Dưa Cải)
Yield: Serves 4-6 as part of a Shared Meal
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 3 tomatoes, cut into wedges; 300 g (10½ oz) pork spareribs, cut into 2 × 4 cm (¾ × 1½ inch) pieces (ask your butcher to do this); 2 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced; 2 tablespoons fish sauce; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 small handful coriander (cilantro) leaves; 350 g (12 oz) pickled mustard greens

Preparation info

Serves
4-6
as part of a Shared Meal

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Songs of Sapa

By Luke Nguyen

Published 2009

About

VIETNAMESE SOUPS, CANH ARE NOT MEANT TO BE EATEN ALONE – THEY ARE DESIGNED TO COMPLEMENT ALL THE FLAVOURS OF THE OTHER DISHES AND TO HELP WITH DIGESTION. IN THIS SOUP, THE MAIN FOCUS IS THE BROTH, WHICH IS WHY WE COOK THE PORK RIBS FOR LONGER THAN USUAL – TO DRAW OUT ALL THE SWEETNESS FROM THE MEAT AND BONES.

MUSTARD GREENS ARE THE LEAVES OF THE MUSTARD PLANT AND THESE HAVE A STRONG PEPPERY MUSTARD-LIKE CHARACTER. BUY THEM FROM ANY ASIAN MARKET IN THE REFRIGERATION SECTION, S