Soups Recipes - Pork and Prawn Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 225g/8oz pork fillet (tenderloin)

• 225g/8oz rice vermicelli, soaked in lukewarm water for 20 minutes

• 20 prawns (shrimp), shelled and deveined

• 115g/4oz bean sprouts

• 2 spring onions (scallions), sliced

• 2 fresh red chilies, seeded and finely sliced

• 1 garlic clove, finely sliced

• chopped basil and coriander (cilantro) leaves

• 1 lime, cut into quarters, and fish sauce, to serve

For the stock:

• 25g/1oz dried squid

• 675g/1 1/2lb pork ribs

• 1 onion, peeled and quartered

• 2 carrots, cut into chunks

• 15ml/1 tbsp fish sauce

• 15ml/1 tbsp soy sauce

• 6 black peppercorns

• salt

Serves 4

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Method:

1. Make the stock, soak the squid in water for 30 minutes, rinse and drain. Put the ribs in a large pan with 2.5 liters/10 cups water.

2. Boil, skim, and add the dried squid and remaining stock ingredients. Cover; simmer for 1 hour; then skim, remove the lid and continue to simmer for a further 1 1/2 hours.

3. Strain the stock into a deep pan and bring to the boil. Add the pork and simmer for 25 minutes. Lift out the pork and slice it thinly. Keep the stock simmering over a low heat.

4. Drain the rice sticks and cook them in boiling water for 5 minutes until tender. Drain and divide among four bowls.

5. Cook the prawns in the stock for 1 minute, lift them out and add to the bowls with the pork slices. Ladle over the hot stock and sprinkle with bean sprouts, spring onions, chilies, garlic and herbs.

6. Serve each bowl of soup with a wedge of lime to squeeze over it and fish sauce to splash on top.