Malaysian Pork Rib Herbal Soup

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This Malaysian herbal soup slow-simmers pork ribs with garlic, star anise, and a fragrant bundle of traditional Chinese roots for a deeply savory, restorative broth. Serve it steaming with jasmine rice, dark soy sauce, and sliced chilies for the full kopitiam experience.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 520 kcalCalories
• 35 gFat
• 12 gSaturated Fat
• 8 gCarbs
• 1 gFiber
• 3 gSugar
• 38 gProtein
• 1180 mgSodium
• 720 mgPotassium
• 95 mgCalcium
• 4 mgIron
• 6 mgVitamin C
• 25 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the pork

• 1 kg pork spare ribs, cut into 5 cm pieces
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce

For the herbal broth

• 10 cups (2.4 L) water
• 80 g bak kut teh herbal soup mix (or 10 g dried angelica root, 5 g codonopsis root, 5 g astragalus root, 5 g lovage root)
• 25 cloves garlic, lightly smashed
• 3 whole star anise
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 1 tbsp whole white peppercorns
• 2 tbsp rock sugar, crushed
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce

For serving

• 4 cups cooked jasmine rice
• 1/4 cup light soy sauce, for dipping
• 4 fresh red chilies, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp goji berries (optional)

Directions

1. Place the pork ribs in a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil; blanch for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse under cool water to remove scum.
2. Meanwhile, in a clean heavy pot, combine the 10 cups water with the herbal mix, garlic, star anise, cloves, cinnamon, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes to release the herbal flavors.
3. Add the blanched ribs, Shaoxing wine, rock sugar, light soy sauce, and dark soy sauce. Return to a gentle boil, skimming any foam that rises to the surface.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 1 hour and 30 minutes, checking occasionally, until the pork is fork-tender but not falling apart.
5. Stir in the goji berries, if using, during the last 10 minutes of cooking; season the broth with salt and additional white pepper to taste.
6. Ladle the soup and ribs into deep bowls, making sure each serving gets plenty of garlic cloves and a generous pour of the dark herbal broth.
7. Serve immediately with hot jasmine rice, small dishes of light soy sauce, and sliced fresh chilies for dipping.
8. If time allows, cool the soup, refrigerate overnight, and reheat gently the next day; the broth deepens significantly as the herbs continue to infuse.

Cook’s Notes

• Always blanch the ribs first; this step is essential for a clean, golden broth rather than a cloudy one.
• Pre-packaged bak kut teh herbal sachets are widely available at Asian grocers and save time without sacrificing authenticity.
• For a deeper color and slightly sweeter profile, add 1 tablespoon of dark caramel soy sauce along with the regular dark soy.
• Resist the urge to boil once the herbs and pork are in; a bare-simmer keeps the meat tender and prevents the broth from turning bitter.
• Leftover broth freezes beautifully for up to 3 months; use it as a base for noodle soup or to braise vegetables.

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