Mustard Green and Pork Soup

On these days of shelter-in-place, I tuck into a bowl of Mustard Green and Pork Soup to make my world warm and cozy. The hot broth enriched with pork, garlic, fresh ginger, and pungent mustard greens sends warmth throughout my body and hugs my soul. With a scoop of hot rice, the soup turns into a whole comforting meal in a bowl.

Variations of mustard green soup appear in many Hakka kitchens. The Hakka love mustard greens in many forms–fresh, pickled, salted, and preserved. In this simple version of the soup, bold, direct flavors come from just a few ingredients. Start by flavoring broth with crushed garlic and ginger slices. In this fast shortcut version, mix ground pork seasoned with garlic, salt, and pepper. Poach chunks of the pork mixture in the broth to instantly imbue the broth with meaty flavor. Alternatively, with lots of time at home, you can use chunks of pork butt or bone-in pork neck to slowly enrich the broth. Simmer until the meat is very tender. Then immerse loads of mustard greens into the hot soup. As the greens simmer in the broth, their mustard pungency leaches into the broth to contrast with the rich pork.

It’s so easy, you don’t need a recipe but if want one, look at page 26 in The Hakka Cookbook or below.

Sometimes I embellish the soup with the addition of sliced carrots and chunks of tofu, or replace the pork with chicken. In almost any variation, it is a feel-good meal.

Mustard Green and Pork Soup

Use almost any type or maturity of mustard green, from leafy to broad stem varieties. I prefer the young stalks of Chinese mustard greens that I find at the farmers’ market but you can use the curly leafy mustard greens from the supermarket.

Makes 6 to 8 servings as part of a multi-course meal or 3 or 4 whole meal servings

6 cups chicken broth homemade or purchased
3 thin slices fresh ginger, lightly crushed
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
8 ounces ground pork (see note following)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
12 to 14 ounces mustard greens

1. In a 4-quart pan over high heat bring the broth, ginger, and crushed garlic cloves to a boil.

2. Mix the ground pork, minced garlic, cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Drop about 1/2-inch lumps of the pork mixture into boiling broth. Return to a boil, cover and simmer, until pork is no longer pink in center of thickest part (cut to test), 3 to 5 minutes. Skim off fat and discard.

3. Meanwhile, trim the tough stem ends off the mustard greens and discard. Cut the greens into pieces 2 to 3 long and about 1/2-inch wide, to make about 8 cups. Rinse and drain. When the pork is done, add the mustard greens, bring to a boil, and cook until bright green and tender crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls or a large serving bowl.

Note: For a richer soup, omit the ground pork, minced garlic, and cornstarch and replace with 1 1/2 pounds bite-sized chunks of bone-in pork neck or 12 ounces boneless pork butt, cut into 1/2 inch-chunks. Simmer pork, covered, until the meat is tender when pierced, 45 minutes to 1 1/4 hours, before adding greens. Add a little water or more broth, if some of the broth has evaporated.

Mustard greens are in

Last week, I gave a presentation at the ACCT dinner in San Francisco. They wanted a small taste of a recipe from the book. When I heard 180 people were attending, I turned to one of the easiest recipes in the book, Pickled Mustard Greens (p. 147). I have used this recipe often for book signing events, because it can be made ahead, served cold, and provide a small taste to great many people.

Use broad-stemmed mustard greens for pickles.

The key to the recipe are the mustard greens. The ones used for pickles have big broad leaves and thick wide stems are generally most available in cool weather months. Sometimes they are called dai gai choy. Since they are sold mostly for pickles, sometimes the leaves are trimmed off. The heads and stems may be straight, but are often curved into a semiclosed heart.

Just a week before the dinner, I was surprised to find these greens at the San Mateo Farmers Market where I shop every Saturday. The Hmong farmer was so pleased that I bought six big heads, that she brought them again the following week. She said that although she grows them, she didn’t usually bring them to this market because she didn’t think people would buy them. She also pickles them to eat at home. If you can’t find them at the farmers’ market, most Asian markets carry them in the winter.

This recipe comes from Hawaii resident Margaret Lai who grew up in Tahiti where the Hakka made up the majority of the Chinese population. Her easy pickles have a strong sweet-sour punch and are far crisper than purchased pickles.

Pickled Mustard Greens

Makes 3 to 4 cups

3/4 to 1 1/4 pounds broad-stemmed Chinese mustard greens

2/3 cup rice vinegar or distilled white vinegar

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt or table salt

1. Pull apart the mustard greens and separate the stems. Cut the stems and thicker part of the leaves into 1-inch pieces to make 4 to 5 cups. Wash and drain the greens. Reserve leaves for soup or other stir-fries.

2. In a 3- to 4-quart pan over high heat, bring about 1 1/2 quarts water to a boil. Add the mustard greens to the boiling water. Stir to separate. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool.

3. In a bowl, mix the vinegar, sugar, and salt until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the mustard greens. Cover the bowl and let stand at room temperature overnight. Transfer the mixture to a smaller container. Cover and chill until the pickles are yellowish-green and sweet and tangy, 2 to 3 days. Store in refrigerator up to 2 to 3 months.