Oriental Pork Soup in the Crockpot

This soup is lovely served with egg rolls, which you can either purchase frozen or make yourself. Since this soup slow cooks all day long, you will have time to make your own. 

Enjoying a bowl of oriental pork soup with egg rolls on the side will certainly make you feel like you are eating in your favorite Chinese restaurant.

Although the recipe calls for stewing pork, you can use pork chops or even ground pork if you prefer. Even the toughest cut of pork will be tender after slow cooking for 9 hours, and a tenderer cut will stay moist and juicy, so just use whichever type you have or prefer to use. 

The garlic, ginger and soy sauce add a simple Asian flavor, while the carrots, green onions, mushrooms and beansprouts add nutrients and more flavor. Leave out any of the vegetables you do not like, and feel free to add half a chopped red chili if you want to spice up this dish a little.

A lot of people are surprised when they start making their own Chinese dishes, if they are using authentic recipes, because although they are similar to what you would expect in a Chinese restaurant, they lack the overpowering sweetness associated with a lot of Chinese food. 

Of course, Chinese food is Westernized over here, and a lot of the dishes we know in the United States are unheard of in China, where sugar is used much less, dairy is barely used at all, and stir-frying and steaming are used more than deep-frying.

Slow-Cooked Pork Soup Chinese Style

Summary: Pork is cooked in the slow cooker with vegetables and chicken broth to make a flavorful soup. This dish is enhanced with ginger, soy sauce and garlic.

INGREDIENTS

• • 2 lbs chopped stewing pork
  • 3 minced garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon oil, for stir-frying
  • 2 cups julienne-cut carrots
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 8 chopped green onions
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
  • 6 pints chicken broth
  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • 1½ cups beansprouts
  • 2 cups sliced mushrooms

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Stir-fry the pork and garlic in the oil in a skillet until browned.
   2. Drain off the fat and add the pork and garlic to the crockpot.
   3. Add the carrots, pepper, green onions, ginger, chicken broth and soy sauce.
   4. Cover and cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.
   5. Stir in the beansprouts and mushrooms.
   6. Cover and cook for 1 hour on low.

• Preparation time: 10 minute(s)
• Cooking time: 9 hour(s)
• Number of servings (yield): 12
• Culinary tradition: Chines