A true Vietnamese homecooked meal is not complete without a side of soup!
Growing up, dinner time for me usually consisted of a braised protein dish like gà kho gừng (ginger braised chicken), or thịt kho trứng (braised pork belly and eggs), some vegetables like stir-fried morning glory, slices of cucumbers, pickled mustard greens, and of course soup. Some popular side soup options include canh rau đay (Egyptian spinach soup), canh bí (winter melon soup), and, of course, this pork sparerib soup!
It was always amazing to me how my mom was able to transform a couple of dollars worth of ingredients into a hearty meal that could feed our family of seven. Mom knew she had to be resourceful, and making a hearty soup was the perfect way to make sure we’d never grow hungry.
Pork Sparerib Soup / Canh Sườn Heo
4
servings30
minutes40
minutesIngredients
3 quart water
1 lb pork sparerib
2 Yukon potatoes
2 large carrots
1 small shallot
1 inch knob ginger
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp MSG
1/2 tbsp sugar
Salt and pepper
- Garnishes:
Cilantro
Green onion
Black pepper
Directions
- Parboil pork spareribs for 5-10 minutes to get rid of porky odor and scum. Rinse and clean under cold water
- In a small stockpot, add water, cleaned pork, shallots, and ginger. Bring up to a boil, skim off any impurities, and let simmer for one hour
- Remove aromatics, and add in cut potatoes and carrots; simmer for another thirty minutes or until fork tender
- Season broth with fish sauce, msg, sugar, salt and pepper to taste
- Garnish with cilantro and green onions
Recipe Video
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Hi, you repeat the ingredient ‘fish sauce’ above — assuming the second 1/2 tbsp is for sugar? Cooked the recipe using that measurement and it was quite good.
Hi Molly, thanks for catching that; second one was sugar and I updated the recipe.
I’m glad that the recipe turned out well for you! Thanks for the support and I hope you try some of the other recipes too!
Yo Ken we doing rock sugar or normal sugar? And I forgot the ginger d’oh!
Normal sugar or rock sugar works fine here!
This is my second day in a row making these recipes. I made this soup tonight and do not skip any steps. Make sure you put the aromatics in with the pork. The broth is tasty before adding any MSG or salt.
It was another happy night and I paired this with Thịt Kho Tôm.
Made this and it tasted just like my parents used to make! Such comfort meal for me, thanks for this nostalgic recipe.
Really appreciate you posting these recipes. You help me bring dishes I grew up with into my home as the recipes were never passed along.
That’s honestly what it’s all about! I hope my recipes come close to what you had growing up!
It’s another favorite soup and is on rotation in the house. I’ve made several @feedthepudge recipes because they remind me of childhood and are simple and delicious.
Thank you so much for welcoming my recipes and I into your home!
Accidentally bought boneless pork ribs for this recipe and it still turned out great! Growing up, my mom used daikon instead of potatoes for this soup so I went with that instead and it tasted amazing. Seriously had a flavor punch of nostalgia — thank you for posting this recipe!!
I’m so glad it turned out well and my recipes brings you a lil piece of home and comfort!