Not long ago my mom gave me a brand new pressure cooker that she’s kept with her for the last 10 years or so after knowing that I’ve started cooking a bit. It was a godsend, suddenly cooking soup become way faster and easier, and I think everyone who loves any sort of Chinese style soup should invest in one.

Today I’m going to share with you a very simple peanut soup with pork ribs recipe. A dish that I always love as a kid but never did get to have them very often due to the time it takes to cook using a conventional pot.

chinese peanut soup with pork ribs
chinese peanut soup with pork ribs

With a conventional pot, you’ll have to boil the soup for at least 3-4 hours to make the peanut soft, but with the pressure cooker, 30-45 minutes is all you need for the same results. This is possible because with the increase in pressure (usually at around15 psi), the water will boil in much higher temperature at 122 Celsius compared to the usual 100 Celsius, and this make a world of difference.

Ingredients:

  • raw peanuts (a small bowl is enough)
  • some pork ribs or pork bones (chicken carcass if you prefer it to be pork free)
  • 5-6 dried red dates
  • 5-6 small dried scallops for added sweetness

ingredients for peanut soup - raw peanuts, red dates, dried scallops, pork ribs
ingredients for peanut soup – raw peanuts, red dates, dried scallops, pork ribs

Instructions:

  • boil the pork separately for a few minutes to remove impurities
  • put all ingredients in the pressure cooker (including the pork after removing from pervious pot)
  • add just enough water for amount of soup you want (eg: 3 bowls for 3 bowls, this is because with pressure cooker very little water is evaporated, they are kept as steam within the system instead)
  • boil in pressure cooker for 30-45 minutes

pressure cooker working!
pressure cooker working, check out the little bronze stem

Pressure cooker consume quite a lot less cooking gas compared to a conventional pot too. After bringing the water to boil and the cooker to working pressure (indicated by the bronze valve being “erected”), usually achieve within a few minutes, the fire can be turned down low to keep the same pressure. I believe with this you’ll save at least 3-4 times the amount of cooking gas needed.

The result is old fashion peanut soup that is good for the soul. The peanut is soft, and the pork ribs even more tender, you should really try this for yourself.

p/s: it is also said that boiling the soup with a clay soup spoon will speed up the “softening” process of meat/peanuts too as clay will serve as a catalyst of sort. I haven’t try that yet, but if you do, let me know how it works out.

Happy cooking!

KY cooks – Peanut soup with pork ribs in pressure cooker
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30 thoughts on “KY cooks – Peanut soup with pork ribs in pressure cooker

  • June 25, 2011 at 7:29 pm
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    i love my pressure cooker too!

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    • June 26, 2011 at 10:53 pm
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      eiling: didn’t know you have one too, awesome! 😀

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  • June 25, 2011 at 10:51 pm
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    Nice! I’ve actually never had pork soup with peanuts.

    Would that be a Hokkien recipe? Or a Cantonese one?

    It sounds really good, I just never had it before. 🙂

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    • June 26, 2011 at 10:54 pm
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      Huai Bin: It’s just a chinese recipe I guess, span across different clans.

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  • June 25, 2011 at 10:58 pm
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    The pressure cooker is an antiq. My house got one too.. But the old-age one is still the best cook helper..

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    • June 26, 2011 at 10:55 pm
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      nike: yea, this one’s from the 90s I think.

      Reply
  • June 26, 2011 at 2:44 am
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    Interesting that a pressure cooker can do all that! Awesomeness, but must have skills also la! 🙂

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    • June 26, 2011 at 10:56 pm
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      Isaac: haha very easy to master “skills” la.

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  • June 26, 2011 at 9:40 am
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    I find soup cooked with a pressure cooker taste slightly off the mark, that “loh foh tong” (aged flame soup) taste. Cooking longer under pressure did not help to improve either. The taste will improve dramatically when the soup is boiled for another 30 minutes under normal pressure, after the pressure subsides naturally. Steamed rice or dishes can be cooked simultaneously too during this 2nd stage of boiling with a steamer tray.

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    • June 26, 2011 at 10:56 pm
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      DC: ooO didn’t know that’ll make a difference, thanks for the tips, will check it out. 🙂

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  • June 26, 2011 at 12:52 pm
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    ahhh a real classic soup, eh! one of my absolute favorites too! real comfort food 😀

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    • June 26, 2011 at 11:01 pm
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      Sean: yea, comfort food for sure. 😀

      Reply
  • June 26, 2011 at 7:22 pm
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    ahhh you finally found the pressure cooker. looking forward to more such heart warming dishes!

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    • June 26, 2011 at 11:01 pm
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      babe_kl: will sure do. 😀

      Reply
  • June 26, 2011 at 11:28 pm
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    Peanut soup for the soul!

    Reply
  • June 27, 2011 at 8:58 am
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    so like have you turned into a cooking blog as well ar..? 😀

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    • June 27, 2011 at 3:05 pm
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      ciki: food blog doesn’t mean only eat out bahh 😛

      Reply
  • June 27, 2011 at 2:53 pm
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    What’s the difference between pressure cooker and slow cooker?

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    • June 27, 2011 at 3:06 pm
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      ronin: pressure cooker cooks fast and in high temperature, slow cooker cooks, well, slowly, and just below boiling temperature, you get almost the double boil type of soup.

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  • June 28, 2011 at 11:59 am
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    i tot this kind of pressure cooker is very dangerous? can “pao zhar” de right?

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    • June 28, 2011 at 1:52 pm
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      sotong: no la got safety valve wan.

      Reply
  • June 30, 2011 at 4:56 pm
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    i love cooking soup in those large claypot … really really tasty!

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    • July 1, 2011 at 8:31 am
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      connie: and really really fast!

      Reply
  • March 29, 2016 at 4:18 pm
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    Is that goji berry or red dates?

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  • May 31, 2017 at 8:25 am
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    I made this soup for my family. I added mushroom into the soup since I had leftover. The soup is great. Thank you for sharing your recipe 🙂

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    • May 31, 2017 at 10:36 am
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      yvonne: great, good to hear!

      Reply

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