Pork Rib Soup With Figs

In Taiwan, pork rib soup is a common tonic—usually served with chopped daikon. This dried fig and pork soup is a delightful twist on the classic. Turkish figs add an unexpected caramel-like body to the broth and give the soup a bright, honey-amber hue. Figs are rich in calcium and potassium, which can help the body improve bone density and with muscle contractions. They’re also considered a natural laxative, which is especially helpful during the postpartum period when things can get a bit—ahem—backed up.

This dish is straightforward; it’s mostly just pork ribs and figs boiled in water, then seasoned with salt. But as simple as that might sound, there are a couple of details that help make it pop. The key to getting a clean broth is parboiling the ribs first. This is a common technique used in Taiwan and throughout Asia that gets rid of any gamey, lingering notes in the meat. If you have particularly fatty pork, you can continue skimming the scum from the surface of the soup as it cooks. I prefer using 1″ cubes of pork spare ribs because they’re easy to eat. You can often find this cut at Asian markets, or you can ask your butcher to cut them this way. Then they’re cooked low and slow, which helps to preserve the clarity of the soup, with rice wine, scallions, and ginger until the meat is soft and tender. Whole figs are typical, but I prefer cutting them in half. It’s a good way to impart more flavor, and they’ll fit on a soup spoon more readily.

Read more: 30 Days (of Soup) at a Postpartum Hotel