Watercress, Carrot, Fig and Pork Rib Soup

Why people make this soup

Nourilo has a personal fondness for watercress — he routinely buys it and uses the tender young tips as a filling for wontons and dumplings, finely chopped and mixed with minced pork, egg, and seasoning. The remaining stems, he says, are perfectly suited for this long-simmered soup. Watercress has a lovely mild bitterness that is familiar to anyone who has used it in salads, but when blanched in boiling water first and then added to a slow-cooking pot, that slight bitterness becomes a clean, refreshing sweetness in the finished broth.

In Cantonese food culture, “re qi” (loosely translated as excess internal heat) is the very common concept behind symptoms like a dry scratchy throat, mouth ulcers, constipation, or general irritability after a period of eating rich or fried food. This soup is a go-to in many households for exactly that situation — bringing the body back toward balance gently, without anything overly strong or medicinal.

Method

1. Rinse the watercress. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and blanch the watercress briefly (30–60 seconds), then remove and set aside. This step removes bitterness and locks in the fresh fragrance.
2. Peel and chop the carrot. Halve the dried figs.
3. Blanch the pork ribs in boiling water; drain and rinse.
4. In a large pot, combine carrot, figs, pork ribs, and ginger slices with 2.7 L of water.
5. Bring to a rolling boil, then add the blanched watercress.
6. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 2 hours.
7. Serve and eat both the soup and the ingredients.

Nourilo’s Tips

The key step with watercress is the initial blanch in a big rolling boil of water. This brief immersion locks in the green fragrance and removes the slightly bitter edge — the long simmer that follows then draws out a clean, gently sweet taste from the leaves. Skip this step and the soup may taste slightly harsh. This is a genuinely delicious, all-ages family pot that can be made any time of year but is particularly welcome in dry or hot weather.