Nourishing Chinese Pork Bone Soup (Instant Pot)
This nourishing Chinese pork bone soup is a traditional Cantonese-style comfort food made with simple, healing ingredients: pork bones, ginger, red dates, corn, and carrots. It’s naturally sweet, light, and deeply comforting — the kind of soup that Chinese families make for postpartum recovery, seasonal wellness, and everyday nourishment.
Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs pork bones or ribs neck bones, spare ribs, or soup bones
- 2 ears corn cut into 2–3 inch chunks
- 3 medium carrots cut into large chunks
- 1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger 8–10 thin slices
- 8 red dates jujubes, lightly crushed
- 11 –12 cups water
- 1½ –2 teaspoons salt added after cooking (to taste)
Instructions
- Optional blanch (for clear broth): Add pork bones to a pot, cover with water, and boil for 2–3 minutes. Drain, rinse bones, and rinse the pot. This removes impurities and creates a clean, clear broth.
- Add pork bones, corn, carrots, ginger, red dates, and water to the Instant Pot.
- Seal lid and set to High Pressure for 40 minutes.
- Allow natural release for 15–20 minutes, then carefully release remaining pressure.
- Season with salt to taste after cooking.