Make this super easy, light, and nourishing Chinese style sweet corn pork ribs soup with some superfood like goji berries and red dates added using Instant pot pressure cooker or on the stove.
Having soup as part of a multicourse meal is pretty common in a Chinese household. It’s typical to have a soup to start a meal and a sweet soup dessert like tong sui to end the meal. This sweet corn pork ribs soup is one of our family’s favorite. Mom used to make it often when we were kids too.
This Chinese sweet corn pork ribs soup is one of the common soups being served in a Chinese household. It’s my kids’ favorite too and the best part is, you can pretty much throw everything in the pot. You can put in whatever vegetables you like. I added some Chinese dried red dates and goji berries to the soup too if you like.
HOW TO MAKE CHINESE SWEET CORN PORK RIBS SOUP
1. BLANCH THE PORK RIBS
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pork ribs and boil for 5 minutes. Discard the water and rinse the pork ribs clean to remove any scums or impurities. Rinse the pot clean too.
2. START COOKING
If using Instant Pot Pressure cooker or pressure cooker: Place the blanched pork ribs and the rest of the ingredients except for goji berries and salt into the inner pot of Instant Pot. Pour in water just enough to cover everything in the pot.
Set timer to 30 minutes. If you want tender fall off the bone tender, set it to 35-40 minutes. If you are using pork rib tips, set timer to 15 minutes. Wait 5 minutes and then release pressure fully.
3. STIR IN GOJI BERRIES AND GARNISHES
Carefully unlock the lid. Stir in goji berries. The residual heat will soften the berries. Season with salt to your taste. Garnish with chopped green onions and cilantro leaves.
If cooking on the stove: Use the same pot you use to blanch the pork but rinse it clean. Put everything inside the pot except for goji berries, salt, and potatoes. Cook for the next 1 1/2 – 2 hours for large pork ribs/spare ribs and about 45 minutes to 1 hour for pork rib tips. Add the potatoes in about 15 minutes before the end of cooking time. Stir in goji berries and garnish with chopped green onion and cilantro leaves.
WHAT TYPE OF PORK TO USE
You can use pork ribs, pork spare ribs, or cheaper cut like pork riblets, pork rib tips, or pork neck bones in this soup.
USEFUL TIPS TO KNOW
1. TRIM OFF EXCESS FAT
When I use pork ribs or pork spare ribs, I like to use kitchen shears or knife to cut off excess fat so the soup won’t be too greasy.
2. BLANCH THE PORK
Blanching helps to remove impurities and scum from the soup so you have a clearer soup, though I can tell you taste-wise it doesn’t affect much IMHO.
3. CUT VEGGIES INTO LARGE CHUNKS
If you are using pressure cooker, cut the potatoes and carrots into large chunks so they won’t turn into mush when being pressure cooked.
3. SEASON LAST
I like to add salt after the soup is done cooking. This way you won’t be over seasoning the soup, especially if you are trying to cut down on sodium.
4. ADD GOJI BERRIES LAST
Goji berries soften quickly once they come into contact with heat. Cooking them for too long will make them turn sour.
POSSIBLE VARIATIONS
1. CONFINEMENT SOUP
This soup is also suitable for women who are doing Chinese confinement after having a baby. Add some rice wine, sesame oil and more ginger. I’m not sure about others, but corn often helped me with constipation when I was doing confinement.
2. USE DIFFERENT MEAT
You can use bone-in chicken like drumsticks, thighs, etc.
3. ADD DIFFERENT VEGGIES
Daikon, winter melon, bitter melon, napa cabbage, cabbage, shitake mushrooms or other mushrooms would be a perfect addition too.
OTHER SOUP USING PORK RIBS YOU MIGHT LIKE:
Chinese Apple Pork Ribs Soup (Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, Stove-top)
Pressure Cooker Winter Melon Pork Ribs Soup
Pork Ribs Bitter Melon Soup (Double Boiler or Pressure Cooker)
DID YOU MAKE THIS CHINESE SWEET CORN PORK RIBS RECIPE?
I love it when you guys snap a photo and tag to show me what you’ve made 🙂 Simply tag me @WhatToCookToday #WhatToCookToday on Instagram and I’ll be sure to stop by and take a peek for real!
Chinese Sweet Corn Pork Ribs Soup
Ingredients
- 3 lbs pork ribs/spare ribs/pork rib tips
- 2 ears sweet corn cut into 3 sections
- 2 large potatoes peeled & quartered
- 2 large carrots peeled & cut into large chunks
- 1 large yellow/white/purple onion peeled & quartered
- 8 red dates pitted with sharp paring knife
- Water as needed
To add last:
- ¼ cup goji berries
- Salt to taste
Seasonings:
- 1 tsp sugar
- Salt to taste
Garnishes:
- 1 stalk green onion finely chopped
- Small bunch cilantro leaves finely chopped
Instructions
Blanch the pork ribs:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pork ribs and boil for 5 minutes. Discard the water and rinse the pork ribs clean to remove any scums or impurities. Rinse the pot clean too
If cooking with Instant Pot pressure cooker:
- Place the blanched pork ribs and the rest of the ingredients except for goji berries and salt into the inner pot of Instant Pot. Pour in water just enough to cover everything in the pot
- Cover the lid and turn the pressure valve to "sealing". Press "pressure cooker" and make sure it's on "high pressure". Set timer to 30 minutes. If you want tender fall off the bone tender, set it to 35-40 minutes. If you are using pork rib tips, set timer to 15 minutes. Wait 5 minutes and then release pressure fully
- Carefully unlock the lid. Stir in goji berries. The residual heat will soften the berries. Season with sugar and salt to your taste. Garnish with chopped green onions and cilantro leaves
If cooking on the stove:
- Using the same pot you use to blanch the pork earlier, add about 8 cups of water or enough to cover everything in the pot later. Bring to a boil and then add the pork ribs and everything else except for goji berries, and potatoes. Bring back to a boil and then lower the heat to let it simmer on medium to low heat for the next 1 1/2 - 2 hours for large pork ribs/spare ribs and about 45 minutes to 1 hour for pork rib tips. Add the potatoes in about 15 minutes before the end of cooking time
- Stir in the goji berries after the pork ribs soup is done cooking. Have a taste and season with sugar and salt to your taste
- Garnish with chopped green onion and fresh cilantro leaves
11 comments
Hey Marvellina! Long time lurker of your blog – love your recipes!
Wanted to ask if I could substitute fresh corn on the cob with frozen corn kernels instead?
Hi Lindley, I’m happy to have lurkers ha.ha..:) Yes, this recipe is quite flexible actually. You are welcome to use frozen corn kernels. Just thaw it and then add them few minutes before you are done cooking on the stove. If using pressure cooker, add them after it’s done cooking and then add together with goji berries and let the residual heat cooks them. I hope this helps
Made this for my daughter/grand baby during her confinement day. Very easy to do in the instapot . Thank you
I thought your readers would be interested to know that pigtails work as a great budget cut for this soup!
Hi Ashley, I’m sure they do!! Thank you for sharing! I would do the same too 🙂
Hi Marvellina! Just came across your site and loving the recipes (have just bought an Instant Pot myself!). Have you used the soup function to boil these Asian type soups – wondering whether there is any difference in terms of flavour compared to the pressure cooking function (or are they the same?). Thanks!
Hi Carmen, the “soup” function is probably one of the functions I have never used to this date since I owned an IP for 4 years LOL! I’ve been using pressure cooker functions to cook the soup. I wish I could tell you for sure if there’s much difference at all.
Hi Marvellina! would be great if you can share how much rice wine, sesame oil and ginger to add for confinement soup. Thanks!
Hi Ashley, you can use about 1 Tbsp of sesame oil to stir fry 4-5 slices of fresh ginger with it before adding water to make the soup. It will add extra flavor by doing that. Then you can pour in the water, enough to cover the ribs or any meat you use and pour in 1 cup of rice wine and cook until the meat is tender and the alcohol from the wine will be cooked off too. I hope this helps.
Hi, seems you forgot to include the sweet corn in the list of ingredients for this recipe. Tx
Hi LA,
You are right. I left my brain somewhere! I’ve added it in! Sorry about that. Thank you for letting me know 🙂