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Level 3 Moderately Thick
Prep: 120 min Difficulty: Easy Main ingredient: watercress
#level-3#watercress#pork#soup#cantonese#hong-kong#liquidised#lao-huo-tang#vegetables#elderly

Watercress and Pork Bone Soup (Strained) | IDDSI Level 3 Recipe

IDDSI Level 3 (Liquidised) | 120 minutes | Easy

Watercress and pork bone soup (西洋菜豬骨湯, sai yeung choi zyu gwat tong) is one of the most beloved and frequently prepared 老火湯 in Hong Kong home cooking. Watercress (西洋菜) is a staple of Cantonese slow-fire soup tradition, prized in TCM for its cooling, lung-moistening, and heat-clearing properties — making it a go-to remedy for dry cough, sore throat, and autumn respiratory discomfort. The thick pork bones (豬骨) provide a rich, milky-white, collagen-laden base broth, while the watercress breaks down over two hours of low simmering to release its characteristic slightly bitter, mineral sweetness into the liquid. This soup is found in virtually every Hong Kong family’s weekly rotation. For individuals on IDDSI Level 3 Liquidised diets, watercress leaves, stems, and pork bone fragments — including small bone shards and cartilage — are significant choking and aspiration hazards. This recipe preserves the authentic 老火湯 method, simmering for the full traditional duration, and then strains the broth completely to produce a safe, flavourful, particle-free liquid.

Ingredients (3–4 servings)

Method

  1. Blanch pork bones in boiling water for 3–4 minutes, drain, and rinse thoroughly under cold water. This removes blood impurities and ensures a cleaner-tasting broth.
  2. Wash watercress thoroughly in multiple changes of water to remove any soil or sand. Roughly chop — no need for precision as all solids will be discarded.
  3. Combine blanched pork bones, watercress, dried figs, stoned red dates, ginger slices, and cold water in a large clay pot or heavy saucepan. Bring to the boil over high heat, skimming any foam.
  4. Reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for 90–110 minutes. The watercress will break down entirely; the broth will turn a deep olive-green to brown.
  5. Remove from heat. Season with salt. Rest 5 minutes.
  6. Pour all contents through a fine-mesh sieve. Discard all solids — pork bones (confirm no small bone fragments pass through), watercress fibre, dried fig remnants, red date skins, ginger.
  7. Inspect carefully: pork bone pieces must be fully retained in the sieve. If any bone fragments are suspected in the liquid, strain through a double layer of muslin.
  8. The finished broth should be a rich amber-green with a clean, savoury-sweet, slightly mineral flavour. Confirm free-flowing texture.
  9. Serve warm at 50–60°C.

Texture Test

IDDSI Level 3 (Liquidised) confirmation: Tilt a loaded spoon — the broth should flow slowly and continuously, coating the back of the spoon lightly. Using the IDDSI syringe test at 45 degrees, 1–10ml should be expelled over 10 seconds. The liquid must be completely free of watercress fibres, pork particles, or any bone-derived fragments.

Bone fragment safety check: After straining, run a clean finger along the inside of the sieve — confirm all bone pieces are retained. If any hard fragment is detected in the strained liquid, discard and re-strain through muslin.

Safety Notes

⚠️ Bone fragments are the primary hazard — pork bones, even after 2 hours of simmering, can release small fragments. Fine-mesh straining is mandatory; double muslin straining is recommended for any individual with a high aspiration risk.

⚠️ Watercress fibres — long-simmered watercress breaks down substantially but does not fully dissolve. All fibrous matter must be retained in the sieve. Do not force-press the solids through the mesh.

⚠️ Dried figs — fig seeds can pass through coarser sieves. Use a fine-mesh sieve (0.5mm or finer) and inspect the liquid before serving.

⚠️ Serving temperature — confirm below 60°C.

Sourcing Outside Hong Kong

For international care kitchens and home cooks outside Hong Kong, Cantonese ingredients are widely available at East and Southeast Asian grocery stores:

Key Cantonese pantry ingredients: East Asian grocers including Wing Yip (UK), H Mart (US/CA), T&T (CA), and Sheng Siong (Singapore) cover most items in this recipe.

If a specific ingredient is unavailable in your region, the recipe notes alternative substitutions in the Ingredients section. For dishes requiring fresh Cantonese-specific ingredients (e.g. preserved century egg, fresh rice noodle rolls), check with your local East Asian grocer before substituting — texture compliance for IDDSI levels may require specific products.

Nutrition

Approximately 35–55 kcal per 200ml serving. Watercress is exceptionally nutrient-dense — strained watercress broth retains water-soluble vitamins including vitamin C, B vitamins, and minerals including calcium, iron, and magnesium that leach into the liquid during prolonged simmering. The pork bone broth contributes dissolved collagen and calcium from bone mineral. This soup is particularly well-suited for elderly individuals with calcium requirements, mild anaemia concerns, or respiratory health goals.

Cultural Note

西洋菜豬骨湯 is the embodiment of Cantonese 老火湯 philosophy: simple, inexpensive, everyday ingredients transformed by time and patience into a deeply nourishing broth. Unlike the prestige ingredients of 花膠湯 or silkie chicken soup, this is the soup of the working household — prepared on a weekday evening, simmered while dinner is being made, drunk at the table as the opening course of the family meal. For elderly Hongkongers, this soup is not just food but memory: the smell of the broth filling a small apartment, the clay pot sitting warm on a gas ring. In a care setting, serving a Level 3-compliant version of 西洋菜湯 connects residents to the most fundamental comfort of home cooking.

Storage and Reheating

⚠️ This recipe is for reference only. Texture varies by technique and ingredients. A speech therapist should confirm the appropriate IDDSI level.
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