Chinese Pickled Mustard Green Soup

 

     Chinese pickled mustard green soup - Oklahoma City is home to Szechuan Story, one of the best Chinese restaurants I have ever eaten at. And I've been out to eat in China. The food is authentic, well prepared, and most of all full of amazing flavors, and no neon sauces. One of the dishes I finally got around to trying was what they have listed as "sauerkraut soup". It had caught my eye on several occasions but there are so many things on their extensive menu it took me a while to get around to ordering it. But the term "sauerkraut" really piqued my interest because I think of Germany when I hear that. So finally the day came when I got past their amazing Spicy Dry Fried Chicken and ordered it. And I waited for my soup and the answer to my question, and finally my bowl arrived. And I was not disappointed, even though it didn't contain a single shred of what I am familiar with as sauerkraut. It turns out that was just how the name of the dish was Romanized. What it actually contained was a delicious mix of broth, matchsticks of pork, noodles, and pickled mustard greens. And boy was it delicious. The pickled greens lend a sourness to the umami rich broth that is the perfect balance for the rich pork and mellow noodles. I knew I would have to make it at home. 

     The question was where to start? I looked at recipes online and while they all looked delicious, none of them looked quite like the style I had. So I decided to just create my own based off the restaurant version. A trip to the Asian supermarket yielded the pickled mustard greens and the rest was easy to source. Any noodles will work, but I pickled up some fresh noodles that added the perfect chew to the dish. The soup only has a few ingredients so make sure they are the best! The pork is typically marinated in a mix of soy and Shaoxing wine, but I don't buy wine so I swapped it with mirin to make sure it still had a great flavor. For the vinegar, anything will work. I usually use apple cider vinegar but for this recipe I used my German herb vinegar, the herb infusion is subtle but the flavors go perfectly with the greens. You can make this with chicken broth if you can't find pork but the flavor obviously won't be the same. Whatever you use make sure it's a good broth, the dish is so simple that is really stands out and can be a make or break feature. I like Knorr pork cubes and can find them in most large Asian markets or on Amazon. 

     This post is in honor of this months #FoodieExtravaganza theme, pasta. I know most of the dishes shared are Italian, because lets be honest, Italy is home to some of the best pasta in the world. So if you like Italian pasta (and who doesn't?) check out all the amazing links below crafted by fellow Foodie Extravaganza participants. But make sure after that you keep scrolling for a delicious, nutritious, filling, and tangy pasta soup. 

• Baked Mostaccioli by Palatable Pastime
• Blue Evolution Penne + Farming the Ocean by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Casunziei All'Ampezzana (Beet Filled Pasta with Poppy Seeds) by Tara's Multicultural Table
• Chinese Pickled Mustard and Noodle Soup by Pandemonium Noshery
• Grain-Free Garbanzo Beans Pasta and Paneer Soup by Magical Ingredients
• Instant Noodles Shots by Sneha's Recipe
• Karen’s Lasagna Bolognese by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Meatball, Spinach and Tortellini al Brodo by Food Lust People Love
• One Pot Lasagne Soup by Our Good Life

Chinese Pickled Mustard Green Soup Recipe

1 1/2 lb. pork loin

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. mirin

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

16 oz. Fresh noodles

24 oz. Pickled mustard greens, chopped

2 Tbsp. vinegar

4 Pork bouillon cubes

1 Tbsp. oil

Slice the pork against the grain into 1/8 inch slices. Slice again creating matchstick slices of pork. Combine the pork, soy sauce, mirin, and black pepper. Leave in a bag overnight to marinate. 

Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the pork and cook, stirring, until cooked about 75% of the way through. You add all the meat at once and it releases it's liquid and stews some, which is what you want, you don't want it to brown. Add the pickled mustard greens and cook, stirring every few minutes but not frequently, for 8-9 minutes. Turn the heat to high and push the meat and greens to the side. Add the vinegar and cook until the liquid is almost evaporated and you can't leave it anymore. 

Add 8 cups of water and the pork bouillon cubes and simmer until the bouillon is dissolved and cooked into a broth. Add the fresh noodles and simmer for four minutes, or until cooked. 

Immediately ladle into bowls and top with sliced green onions. Enjoy!