The weather in Singapore is quite cranky these days – for a moment it can be blazing hot, then the next moment it can be raining cats and dogs. Coupled with the feasting of heaty fruits like durian (because it is the durian season now), we will definitely need something nutritious to keep ourselves healthy!
So today I’m sharing this easy, nutritious and tasty soup that I drink growing up – the ABC soup!
Why call it the ABC soup?
One reason may be because making it is as easy as ABC – just dump everything in a pot and cook together! Another reason could be because it contains vitamins A (carrot), B6 and C (onion and potato).
I love this one-pot soup because it contains meat, vegetables and carbohydrates – the potatoes are enough to fill me! I’m sharing my mom’s version today, which consists of only 4 key ingredients – pork ribs, potatoes, carrots and onions. I’ve seen other recipes that have corn, tomatoes etc added inside but because we don’t like to eat them when we were young, so in order not to waste food, my mom didn’t bother adding them in. You can of course add them in if you have these vegetables at home!
I’ve seen quite a few foodies sharing their version of ABC soup for Little Thumbs Up – what’s your version? 🙂
Step-by-step photos | |
|---|---|
 |  |
| 1) Boil the pork ribs in some water. | 2) The scum and dirt and everything gross will be out! |
 |  |
| 3) Rinse and place in a new pot of clean water. | 4) Chop some vegetables while water comes to a boil. |
 |  |
| 5) When water has boiled, add in onion. | 6) And carrot and potatoes! |
Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until tender. Serve!
I’m submitting this to Little Thumbs Up (July 2014 Event: Potato) – organised by Zoe (Bake for Happy Kids) and Mui Mui (My Little Favourite DIY) and hosted by me! Do hop over HERE to see the linkup!
- 200 to 250 grams pork ribs
- 1.5 to 1.75 litres water
- 1 large onion
- 4 large medium-starchy potatoes
- 1 large carrot
- Salt and white pepper
- Rinse pork ribs and trim off excess fats (if any). Place in a 2-litre large pot and fill with cold water, enough to submerge the pork ribs. Cover the pot, set over high heat and bring to a boil. Keep the water boiling for 3 to 5 minutes - you will a greyish layer (the scum) forming on the surface. Drain the pork ribs and give them a good rinse to get rid of the scum. Rinse the pot.
- Place the rinsed pork ribs in the clean pot and add in the 1.5 litres of water. Set over high heat and bring to a boil.
- While the water is coming to a boil, prepare the vegetables: peel and dice the onion into ½-inch dices. Peel and dice the potatoes into 6 to 8 pieces each. Lastly, peel and dice the carrot into chunks, slightly smaller than the potatoes.
- Once the water has boiled, add in all the vegetables. Let the water come to a boil again and turn down the heat. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until the potatoes and carrot are tender. Season with salt and white pepper to taste and serve.
Super Naggy:
- My mom chose to use pork ribs instead of pork bone because there’s meat on them and that pork bone is pretty expensive here in Singapore. You can substitute with chicken bones but the soup will taste lighter.
- Boiling the pork ribs first will help to expel the scum, dirt and excess oil. This will give you a cleaner-tasting and less oily soup. I do this every time I use pork ribs / pork bone for soups.
- It doesn’t matter which type of onion you use, as they will all soften and “melt-in-the-mouth” after all the simmering. All the sweetness will go into the soup so you won’t taste any of the sharp bite in the onion. I used red onion as it’s cheaper in Singapore.
- I love using medium-starchy potatoes for this recipe as I find that starchy potatoes don’t hold their shape well – they disintegrate too easily and will taste too floury and soft.
- The carrot is diced into smaller pieces than the potatoes as carrot takes longer to cook.
I love simple recipes like this in fact it reminds me of a Filipino dish nearly similar called Nilagang Baboy (http://angsarap.net/2014/02/12/nilagang-baboy-2/) same thing drop everything in hot water.
Simple yet delicious
What a clever name for a tasty looking soup!
Hi Jasline, the ingredients of your ABC soup is exactly the same like what my MIL made … except she put some coarse ground pepper … Well like Veronica has shared, everybody has their own version of ABC soup but no denying … this soup tasted good and is like a “household brand” ^-^
Hi Karen! Yea it’s really fun to read about everyone’s own version of this soup!
I love this kind of soup in winter .
We don’t have winter here, but we do have monsoon seasons, and I love having this soup too during this period of cold weather!
Looks like everybody has their own version of ABC soup. My version includes of celery and tomato besides carrot, potato and onion, and of course pork bones and chicken too.
Hi Veronica! I think my brother and I didn’t like celery and tomato when we were young, so my mom didn’t add them. My brother still hates celery and tomato now, so haven’t got the chance to try adding them to the soup!
Hi, Jasline, I prefer ABC soup with chicken but lotus soup with pork rib, not sure why…heeheehee…
Hi Jozelyn, I love lotus soup too! My mom also cooks it with pork ribs. 🙂 Guess different household have different preferences!
Hi Jasline,
What an coincident! I like to cook ABC soup like this too… For my express soup, I like to substitute the bones with dried scallops :p I know it is not very ABC and of course, yours with pork ribs is better 😀
Zoe
Hi Zoe! Oooh never tried it with dried scallops, do you need to use a lot for the flavour?