Corn, Carrot & Pork Soup (Yu Mi Hu Luo Bo Tang)

The story

Cantonese families rotate through a small book of "sweet soups" like this one: no oil, no browning, just produce and pork quietly exchanging flavors for half an hour. Kids in China grow up drinking this; the corn makes it almost dessert-sweet.

Ingredients (4 + pantry staples)

• Pork (loin or shoulder), chunked or sliced — 10 oz / 300 g
• Corn — 2 ears, chunked (or 2 cups frozen)
• Carrots — 2, chunked
• Scallions — 1, sliced

Pantry staples used (don't count toward the 6): salt. Not stocked yet? See the pantry page.

Steps

1. Everything into a pot with 6 cups / 1.4 L cold water. Bring to a simmer, skim foam, cook 25 minutes at a bare bubble.
2. Salt to taste — generously. Scallions on top.
3. That is the recipe. The pork slices dipped in soy are the second course.

Swaps

Frozen corn and baby carrots make this a zero-knife-work dinner. Add a tomato for a sweeter, more sour Hunan-style version.