Chayote, Poria, Job's Tears and Pork Tripe Soup

Why people make this soup

After a few days of rain and grey skies, it’s easy to feel heavy, tired, and low on energy. That’s when Nourilo reaches for a spleen-strengthening, damp-draining soup like this one, traditionally associated with relieving fatigue, easing water retention, and helping digestion. Pork tripe takes a little work to clean, but it makes a wonderfully tasty soup and doubles as a dish at the table.

Method

1. Peel and chunk the chayote. Scrub the pork tripe clean, then blanch it together with the pork bones.
2. Rinse and soak the remaining ingredients.
3. Put everything in a pot with 2.4 L of water and simmer 2 hours, reducing to 1.2–1.5 L.

Nourilo’s Tips

Fresh pork tripe makes a far tastier soup than frozen. You must rub it with salt and cornstarch two or three times to scrub away the off-smell. (Frozen pre-cleaned tripe is fine too — just blanch it before use.)