Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of this Chinese pork bone soup recipe with tomatoes, potatoes, and corn (fānqié yùmǐ tǔdòu zhū gǔ tāng – 番茄玉米土豆猪骨汤).
The flavor combination of sweet corn, tomatoes, and hearty potatoes comes together in a red-hued soup that tastes amazing all year-round. Salt—the only seasoning in this recipe—makes the whole thing come alive.
You don’t even have to run to the Asian market for the ingredients. Everything you need can be found in any grocery store.
Similar to ABC Soup
This Chinese pork bone soup recipe is similar to ABC soup. The ABC stands for Vitamins A, B and C, which the soup gets from carrots, potatoes, and tomatoes, respectively.
My version doesn’t contain carrots, but if you decide to add carrot to yours, then you’d have an authentic ABC soup on your hands!
ABC soup (and this recipe) can be made with pork bones, pork ribs, or chicken. I like to eat the soft pork meat by dipping it in a little bit of light soy sauce. Sounds simple, but oh, is it good! The meat around the bones is always the tastiest and most tender. However, feel free to substitute chicken drumsticks if pork is not part of your diet.
This is a prime example of simple, Chinese home cooking. I’m confident that it’ll be easy to make, nutritious, and delicious. Take my word for it as a Chinese mom!
NOTE:
If using pork neck bones, you only need 2 pounds. If using pork ribs or chicken legs, which are a bit less flavorful, you’ll need 3 pounds.
Making This Soup When Tomatoes & Corn Aren’t In Season
My family loves this soup, so I always freeze a few ears of summer corn from our local farm just to make this soup throughout fall and winter.
If you can’t find frozen ears of corn, you can substitute the corn with carrot (it adds sweetness, just like corn does!).
When tomatoes aren’t in season, I use tomato paste to pump up the tomato flavor and give the soup a richer color, which is why it is listed as an optional ingredient. If you have very sweet, in-season tomatoes, you can omit it. Canned whole tomatoes also work if fresh tomatoes aren’t at their best.
Want Even more flavor?
Make this soup using salted pork bones! This basically involves salting the pork bones overnight before cooking. Check out our salted pork bone recipe for instructions!
Chinese Pork Bone Soup with tomatoes, potatoes & Corn: Recipe Instructions
Soak the pork bones for 1 hour with enough cold water to cover them completely. Rinse 2-3 times until the water runs clear. (If substituting chicken, you can skip this step.)
Add the bones to a large, thick-bottomed soup pot, cover with fresh water, cover, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, let it boil for 1 minute, then drain through a colander. Rinse the pork bones clean, drain, and set aside.
Wash the pot and dry it thoroughly. Heat it over medium heat, and add the oil, tomato paste (if using), and the tomatoes.
Cook for 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes are softened.
Add the 9 cups of water, along with the pork bones and corn. Cover, increase the heat to high, and bring the soup to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour (for ribs or chicken) or 90 minutes (for neck bones).
Next, add the potato chunks, cover, and bring the soup to a boil once again. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for another 30 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
Skim off the grease floating on the surface of the soup (optional step), and stir in the salt. Serve the soup with salt, so that each person can add more to taste before enjoying.
Don’t forget to serve the pork or chicken from the soup with light soy sauce for dipping!
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Recipe
Chinese Pork Bone Soup with Tomatoes, Potatoes & Corn
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork neck bones (as meaty as possible! Can also substitute 3 pounds pork ribs or chicken legs)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or any neutral oil)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste (optional)
- 1 pound medium tomatoes (cut into chunks; about 4 tomatoes)
- 9 cups water (plus more for soaking and boiling the pork bones)
- 1 ear fresh or frozen corn (cut crosswise into 1-inch/2.5 cm pieces)
- 1 pound russet potatoes (cut into large chunks; about 2 large or 3 medium potatoes)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (plus more to taste when serving)
Instructions
- Soak the pork bones for 1 hour with enough cold water to cover them completely. Rinse 2-3 times until the water runs clear. (If substituting chicken, you can skip this step.)
- Add the bones to a large, thick-bottomed soup pot, cover with fresh water, cover, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, let it boil for 1 minute, then drain through a colander. Rinse the pork bones clean, drain, and set aside.
- Wash the pot and dry it thoroughly. Heat it over medium heat, and add the oil, tomato paste (if using), and the tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes are softened. Add the 9 cups of water, along with the pork bones and corn. Cover, increase the heat to high, and bring the soup to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour (for ribs or chicken) or 90 minutes (for neck bones).
- Next, add the potato chunks, cover, and bring the soup to a boil once again. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for another 30 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Skim off the grease floating on the surface of the soup (optional), and stir in the salt. Serve the soup with salt, so that each person can add more to taste before enjoying. Serve the pork or chicken from the soup with light soy sauce for dipping.
