Dried Cabbage, Carrot, Fig and Pig Lung Pork Rib Soup

Why people make this soup

When the weather turns cool and damp, and a cold that seemed to be resolving leaves behind a stubborn cough and a rough throat, this is the soup Nourilo reaches for. Dried cabbage (cai gan) is a staple of Cantonese slow-cooked soups, imparting a deep, slightly savoury sweetness that works beautifully with the mild bitterness of apricot kernels and the gentle sweetness of figs. Pig lung, used in traditional cooking across South China and Southeast Asia, follows the classical Chinese principle of “like nourishing like” — where an animal organ is used to support the corresponding organ in the person eating it. Whether or not you find that logic compelling, pig lung does produce a remarkable depth of flavour in long-cooked soups, and the finished broth is genuinely soothing to drink on a cold evening.

Method

1. Soak the dried cabbage in warm water for 20–30 minutes, rinse thoroughly, and cut into sections.
2. Peel and chop the carrot into chunks.
3. Rinse the figs, apricot kernels and tangerine peel.
4. Prepare the pig lung: rinse very thoroughly inside and out under running water. Cut into small pieces, blanch in boiling water, drain, then pan-fry with a little oil until lightly browned to remove any gamey smell.
5. Blanch the pork ribs in boiling water, then rinse.
6. Place all ingredients in a large pot. Add 3–3.6 L of water and bring to a boil over high heat.
7. Reduce to a medium-low simmer, cover, and cook for 2 hours.
8. Serve warm, drinking the soup and eating the solid ingredients.

Nourilo’s Tips

Cleaning pig lung takes a little patience, but it is worth it. If your butcher has already rinsed it clean, so much the better. The brief pan-fry step after blanching is important — it removes the remaining gamey odour and gives the lung pieces a pleasant colour. If pig lung is truly unavailable, you can make a very satisfying version with just the pork ribs; add a few extra figs and apricot kernels to compensate. For coughs associated with a cold, the soup is equally welcome whether the cold is still active or has recently passed. If you have a hot-type cough with thick yellow phlegm, omit the ginger; if your cough feels worse in cold weather and your phlegm is clear, add the ginger and you will feel the difference.