Easy Pork Soup with Lily Flower

This easy pork soup with lily flower has been one of my favorite soups to make since giving birth to little James. 

Soup is highly treasured during postpartum recovery in China, because it provides good hydration with electrolytes. And it helps the mom consume a lot of protein and fiber, which are both important for increasing milk supply and regaining strength after childbirth. Most of the soups also include vegetables and herbs that have medicinal properties to recover the Qi. For example, the pork and lotus root soup, silkie chicken soup, milky carp soup, and pork papaya soup are usually served daily during the first month of postpartum recovery.

Continuing my little series on postpartum recovery recipes, I want to introduce this simple soup. Unlike the other soups I just mentioned, this one will not take hours to simmer. So you can throw it together in a pinch when you’re busy. It might be less rich than a slow-simmered bone broth, but it’s hearty, refreshing, and tastes very good.

Pork soup with lily flower ingredients

Dried lily flower

Dried lily flower, or Huang Hua Cai (黄花菜), are dried unopened flowers of the daylily plant. They have an earthy, woody and smoky aroma. Once rehydrated, they become tender, taste a bit sour, and have a slightly crunchy texture. It’s a key ingredient for making hot and sour soup, and we like to use it in stew, sauce, soup and stir fry to add umami and texture.

Dried lily flowers are commonly used in Chinese postpartum recipes because they help with detoxing, facilitate digestion, increase milk supply, and improve sleep. 

You can usually find them in Chinese grocery stores, but these days you can also find them on Amazon. 

Water vs chicken broth for soup base

This pork soup uses the soaking water from the lily flower, together with some water, to make a very simple soup base. It also uses ginger, garlic, soy sauce, white pepper and sesame oil to create a refreshing yet flavorful broth.

However, if you prefer a richer tasting soup, feel free to use chicken broth to replace the water. You can also add a pinch of chicken bouillon at the end of the cooking to enhance the flavor. 

Mise en place

The pork soup uses very simple Chinese pantry ingredients that you might already have at home, if you cook Chinese food often. When you’re ready to cook, your table should have:

• Marinated pork
• White pepper
• Soaked lily flower and its soaking water
• Soy sauce
• Sliced ginger and garlic
• Sliced green onion and sesame oil (Optional, for garnishing)

How to make pork soup with lily flowers

Making pork soup with lily flowers is simple and fast.

1. Boil the ginger and garlic in the lily flower soaking water
2. Add the lily flowers and the seasonings
3. Briefly cook the pork until tender and juicy
4. Finish up with green onion and sesame oil 

Once you’re done prepping, the soup takes less than 10 minutes to put together. The base is refreshing yet comforting, and the tender pork and crunchy lily flowers make for a satisfying taste and nice texture. It’s a great soup to cook in parallel with the rest of your dinner.

How to keep the pork tender and juicy

1. Marinate the pork
2. Don’t overcook the pork

Marinated, the pork will be more flavorful, and the cornstarch will protect the pork from the heat. Once you add the pork, it will cook very quickly because it is thinly sliced. When the soup is boiling hot, the sliced pork will be cooked through almost instantly. It is very important not to overcook the pork, which will dry it out and make it tough. I always turn down the heat immediately once the pork has been added. And it only takes 1 to 2 minutes for the pork to cook through.

You should also note that the pork will continue to cook in the residual heat if you don’t serve the soup immediately, which will make the meat a bit tougher than it should be.  

How to serve pork soup with lily flowers

You can serve the pork soup alongside main and side dishes for a full Chinese dinner. I also enjoy serving it with another quick dish, such as fried rice or noodles for a simple meal. 

For a quick meal, consider serving the soup with:

• Egg Fried Rice
• Soy Sauce Fried Rice
• Easy Pan Fried Noodles
• Pan Fried Tofu
• Tomato and Egg Stir Fry

Other easy and quick soup recipes

• Spinach Egg Drop Soup
• Napa Cabbage Tofu Soup (白菜豆腐汤)
• Chinese tomato beef soup (番茄肥牛汤)
• Chinese Corn Soup with Chicken (鸡蛋玉米羹)
• Winter Melon Soup with Meatballs (冬瓜丸子汤)

Easy Pork Soup with Lily Flower

By Maggie Zhu

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 3 to 4 servings

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A fast and easy sliced pork soup made with aromatics and lily flowers for a hearty yet refreshing taste. It is a great dish to make when you feel under the weather, to gain strength during postpartum, or if you simply need a comforting soup for dinner. {Gluten-Free Adaptable}

To make the recipe gluten-free, use tamari to replace the soy sauce. And use dry sherry instead of Shaoxing wine.

Ingredients 

Marinating

• 8 oz (225 g) pork tenderloin , thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
• 1 teaspoon light soy sauce (or soy sauce)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Soup

• 1 cup (1 oz / 30 g) dried lily flower and its soaking water
• 4 cups water (or chicken broth) (*Footnote 1)
• 1 clove garlic , sliced
• 1/2 thumb ginger , sliced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce (or soy sauce)
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• Salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil (Optional)
• Sliced green onion for garnish (Optional)

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Instructions

• Combine the pork and the rest of the marinating ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Mix well with your hands.
• Add the dried lily flowers to a medium bowl and add 1 cup of warm water to cover. Let soak until the lily flowers turn tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Once done, remove the lily flowers and reserve the water. Check the lily flowers and remove any tough ends if needed. Measure the soaking water, and add enough water so you have 5 cups in total. Pour the combined water into a medium pot.
• Add the garlic and ginger. Heat over medium-high heat until boiling.
• Add the soaked lily flowers, soy sauce and salt and let boil for 2 minutes.
• Add the marinated pork and turn to medium-low heat. Use a pair of chopsticks to separate the pork slices immediately. Cook for 2 minutes, or until the pork is just cooked through.
• Turn off the heat. Add the white pepper, sesame oil and green onion for garnishing. Stir to mix well. Taste the soup and add more salt to adjust the flavor if needed. Serve the soup hot.

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Notes

1. This recipe aims to create a simple and hearty soup with minimal ingredients, and water is used as the soup base. However, if you prefer a richer soup, you can use chicken broth instead of water.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 236kcal, Carbohydrates: 25.1g, Protein: 22.7g, Fat: 4.1g, Saturated Fat: 1.2g, Cholesterol: 62mg, Sodium: 421mg, Potassium: 373mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 1.1g, Calcium: 7mg, Iron: 1mg

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