Pork and watercress soup is a classic Chinese soup. This watercress pork bones soup recipe (西洋菜豬骨蜜棗湯) is simple, sweet and tasty. Also, there are both top stove and instant pot watercress soup methods.
Love authentic Chinese soups? Check out these Hong Kong borscht soup, dried bok choy soup, lotus root pork soup and tomato potato pork bone soup recipes.
What is Chinese watercress soup?
Watercress pork bones soup (西洋菜豬骨蜜棗湯) is a Chinese soup. Also, it's very common in the southern part of China like green radish carrot soup, sweet corn carrot soup and tomato potato pork bone soup.
What are the benefits of Chinese watercress soup?
From a Chinese medicine point of view, watercress has some sorts of medical functions. For example, it helps with lung disease and moisture lungs from coughing. Also, my mom likes to make this Chinese pork and watercress soup during fall.
My memory with watercress harvest:
When I was around 8-9 years old, I helped my friend's family harvest watercress in the field. As I remembered it was so much fun to step into the muddy fields as a kid. Anyways, this was one of my good memories about watercress and watercress soup!
What are the ingredients for watercress soup (西洋菜豬骨蜜棗湯)?
In this Chinese watercress soup recipe, the main ingredients are watercress, pork bones, water and Chinese honey dates.
Cooking tips for how to make watercress pork bone soup:
- Wash the watercress and soak it in water for about 15 minutes to get rid of insects or little bugs, remember to wash them a few times (3 times).
- I like to wash the pork bones with hot water. (Some people will boil them in water for a minute or two to get rid of some fat and blood.)
- Use 10 cups of water for an instant pot pressure cooker or use 12 cups of water for the top stove method.
FAQs:
It is an aquatic plant species with the botanical name Nasturtium officinale. In fact, it is a rapidly growing aquatic plant and native to Europe and Asia. In western countries, people usually use watercress to make salad. However, Asians like to use watercress to make soup.
Moreover, watercress is low in calories and rich in vitamin K. It contains significant amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, riboflavin, vitamin B6, calcium, manganese, and folate as well.
The best is to soak the watercress in water for about 15 minutes to get rid of mud, insects or little bugs. Then, wash them a few times (3 times).
Chinese honey dates are also called candied dates. They are usually sold in traditional Chinese medicine shops. However, now you can get it in Asian stores. They are light brown and have striated skin. Therefore, some called it “golden thread”. Besides, they are larger and sweeter than dried red dates. And, Chinese honey dates are often used as sweeteners in traditional Chinese healing soups and drinks. 
Instructions for how to make instant pot watercress Chinese soup:
1. Wash a bunch of watercress and soak it in water for about 15 minutes to get rid of mud, insects or little bugs.
2. Wash 1.5 pounds of pork bones with hot water. (Some people will boil them in water for a minute or two to get rid of some fat and blood.) Then, put them into the instant pot.
3. After that, add a bunch of washed watercress into the instant pot pressure cooker.
4. Next, put 2 pieces of Chinese honey dates into the pressure cooker.
5. Pour 10 cups of water into the instant pot. Close the lid and vent. Push the manual button, adjust the time to 60 minutes at high pressure and natural release.
6. Lastly, use a strainer to remove fat and add ¼ teaspoon of salt. (Remember to add salt to your taste.)
Enjoy this simple and easy instant pot watercress soup recipe! Also, check out these Korean ginseng chicken soup, sweet corn carrot soup and miso soup recipes.
Instructions for how to make watercress soup top stove method:
1. Wash a bunch of watercress and soak it in water for about 15 minutes to get rid of insects or little bugs.
2. Then, wash 1.5 pounds of pork bones with hot water. (Some people will boil them in water for a minute or two to get rid of some fat and blood.)
3. After that, add a bunch of washed watercress, 1.5 pounds of pork bones, 2 pieces of Chinese honey dates and 12 cups of water into a pot. Cover the lid, turn on medium high fire until it boils. Then, turn the fire to small. Let it simmer for 2 hours.
4. Lastly, use a strainer to remove fat and add ¼ teaspoon of salt. (Remember to add salt to your taste.)
You May Also Like These Recipes:
- GOBO SOUP RECIPE
- HOT AND SOUR SOUP (酸辣湯)
- SWEET CORN CARROT PORK BONE SOUP
- KIMCHI TOFU SOUP (SUNDUBU-JJIGAE)
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Watercress pork bones dates soup (西洋菜豬骨蜜棗湯）
Video
Ingredients
- 1 bunch Watercress
- 1.5 pounds Pork neck bones
- 2 pieces Chinese honey dates
- 10 cups Water
- ¼ teaspoon Salt (Remember to add salt to your taste)
Instructions
Instant pot method:
- Wash a bunch of watercress and soak it in water for about 15 minutes to get rid of mud, insects or little bugs.
- Wash 1.5 pounds of pork bones with hot water. (Some people will boil them in water for a minute or two to get rid of some fat and blood.) Then, put them into the instant pot.
- After that, add a bunch of washed watercress into the instant pot pressure cooker.
- Next, put 2 pieces of Chinese honey dates into the pressure cooker.
- Pour 10 cups of water into the instant pot. Close the lid and vent. Push the manual button, adjust the time to 60 minutes at high pressure and natural release.
- Lastly, use a strainer to remove fat and add ¼ teaspoon of salt. (Remember to add salt to your taste.)
Top stove method:
- Wash the watercress and soak it in water for about 15 minutes to get rid of insects or little bugs.
- Then, wash 1.5 pounds of pork bones with hot water. (Some people will boil them in water for a minute or two to get rid of some fat and blood.)
- After that, add a bunch of watercress, 1.5 pounds of pork bones, 2 pieces of Chinese honey dates and 12 cups of water into a pot. Cover the lid, turn on medium high fire until it boils. Then, turn the fire to small. Let it simmer for 2 hours.
- Lastly, use a strainer to remove fat and add ¼ teaspoon of salt. (Remember to add salt to your taste.)
Notes
Cooking tips for how to make watercress pork bone soup:
- Wash the watercress and soak it in water for about 15 minutes to get rid of insects or little bugs, remember to wash them a few times (3 times).
- I like to wash the pork bones with hot water. (Some people will boil them in water for a minute or two to get rid of some fat and blood.)
- Use 10 cups of water for an instant pot pressure cooker or use 12 cups of water for the top stove method.
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