Apple, Dried Lily Bulb & Pork Soup
Cooking with Xianyitang dried ingredients
Hob
Apples bring a gentle fruit sweetness to this clear broth, with tender rehydrated lily bulb petals, small pieces of pork and ginger. It is a mellow soup to share at an autumn family dinner.
Quantities, yields and timings are adaptation estimates. Allow the soaking, marinating, cooling and chilling waits shown, overlapping only where stated. Check texture and doneness as described.
Recipe illustrations; measure ingredients using the written quantities.
Ingredients
- Dried lily bulb petals, from the 150 g pack 25 g
- Trimmed pork shoulder, bought separately, cut into roughly 3 cm pieces 350 g
- Apples, washed, cored and cut into large chunks, peel retained if liked About 300 g after coring, roughly 2 medium apples
- Ginger, sliced 10 g
- Fresh water, starting quantity for the hob, plus extra for blanching 1.8 L
- Salt 0–2 g, to taste
Method
Rinse and soften the lily bulb
Discard any spoiled petals, rinse briefly and cover generously with clean water for about 15–30 minutes, until flexible with no brittle, hard centre. Continue soaking in clean water if needed and check again. Discard the soaking water, rinse lightly and drain. Keep covered at 5°C or below until ready to add, rather than leaving hydrated petals at room temperature. These are lily bulb petals, not dried daylily flowers.
Blanch the pork, then start the broth
Cut the pork into roughly 3 cm pieces. In a separate pan of boiling water, blanch for about 3–5 minutes to release surface scum. Lift out with a slotted spoon and discard that water. Put the pork, ginger and 1.8 litres fresh water in a deep pot. Bring to the boil, skim, then simmer gently with the lid slightly ajar for about 80–90 minutes until the pork begins to soften. Avoid a fierce boil that rapidly dries the pan.
Core the apples and add with the lily bulb
Shortly before adding, wash and core the apples, removing all seeds and hard core. Cut into roughly 3–4 cm chunks, peeling if preferred. Add with the softened lily bulb. If the liquid no longer covers the ingredients, top up with a little hot water. Simmer gently for about 30–35 minutes, until the petals are tender, apple pieces cut easily with a spoon, and the pork is cooked and tender. Continue cooking and checking if needed rather than relying on time alone.
Check the pork and season
Probe the centre of thicker pork pieces with a clean food thermometer, reaching 75°C for 30 seconds; continue simmering and recheck if needed. Season with 0–2 g salt to taste and divide into about four soup portions. Apples contribute natural sweetness, so no sugar is included. Take care with hot broth and fruit, allowing them to cool to a comfortable temperature.
Cooking tips
- Difficulty: Easy.
- The lily bulb retail pack contains 150 g; use 25 g dried petals. Buy apples and pork separately.
- Adding the apple later helps keep some shape. Apple varieties differ in sweetness and how quickly they soften; ordinary eating apples suit this soup. Soaking softens the lily bulb but does not replace cooking.
- The hob and electric pressure-cooker methods use the same main ingredients, with different water quantities and timing. Follow one complete method. Apple and lily bulb are added with the lid open after the pressure has safely released.
Allergens
The listed main ingredients do not intentionally add any of the UK’s 14 major allergens. Check actual packs and any extra seasonings for ingredients and cross-contact information. The Xianyitang dried-ingredient packs state that they are packed in a facility also handling peanuts, tree nuts, sesame and soya. Check the actual labels of every brand used.
Storage and reheating
Keep raw meat and rehydrated ingredients awaiting cooking refrigerated at 5°C or below, following their pack dates. Separate raw and cooked utensils, and clean hands and surfaces after handling. Cool cooked leftovers promptly in shallow containers, refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking, and eat within 48 hours or freeze. Reheat only once until steaming hot throughout.
Electric pressure cooker
Apples bring a gentle fruit sweetness to this clear broth, with tender rehydrated lily bulb petals, small pieces of pork and ginger. It is a mellow soup to share at an autumn family dinner.
Estimated adaptation time includes preparation, heat-up, high pressure, full natural release and the open-lid apple and lily bulb finish. Follow your cooker instructions and check the pork.
Recipe illustrations; measure ingredients using the written quantities.
Ingredients
- Dried lily bulb petals, from the 150 g pack 25 g
- Trimmed pork shoulder, bought separately, cut into roughly 3 cm pieces 350 g
- Apples, washed, cored and cut into large chunks, peel retained if liked About 300 g after coring, roughly 2 medium apples
- Ginger, sliced 10 g
- Fresh water for the electric pressure cooker, plus extra for blanching 1.4 L
- Salt 0–2 g, to taste
Method
Prepare the lily bulb, pork and cooker
Discard any spoiled lily bulb scales. Rinse briefly and cover with plenty of clean water for about 15–30 minutes until flexible with no firm centre, continuing to soak and check if needed. Discard the soaking water, rinse lightly, drain, cover and refrigerate at 5°C or below until needed. Cut the pork into roughly 3 cm pieces and blanch for 3–5 minutes, discarding that water. Use an electric pressure cooker of at least 6 litres with a selectable high-pressure setting. Check its seal, steam path and minimum liquid requirement. Do not transfer this timing directly to a stovetop pressure cooker.
Load pork, ginger and 1.4 litres water
Add the blanched pork, ginger and 1.4 litres fresh water. Keep apple and lily bulb out for now. Ingredients plus liquid must remain below the lower of the cooker’s soup limit and half-full line. Do not force the recipe into an unsuitable smaller cooker or ignore its minimum liquid requirement. Check the bottom is free of stuck food and lock the lid as directed.
Pressure-cook for 20 minutes, plus heat-up
Set high pressure for 20 minutes. The countdown normally begins only after about 15–25 minutes of heating to working pressure, so it is not the total recipe time. Do not open or move the cooker during cooking. This is an adaptation starting point; chunk size and cooker performance affect tenderness.
Wait for full natural release
When cooking finishes, stop heating and Keep Warm as directed for your model. Leave the lid locked while the cooker cools and pressure falls naturally, allowing about 20–40 minutes or longer. Do not quick-release soup steam or cool an electric cooker under running water. Open only after the pressure indicator has fully fallen and the lid unlocks normally as instructed; minutes alone are not proof. Keep clear of escaping steam.
Add apple and lily bulb with the lid open
Wash and core the apples, cut into large chunks and add with the softened lily bulb. Keep the lid off and use the model’s approved open-lid sauté/simmer setting to bring to the boil, then simmer gently for about 20–25 minutes until the apple and petals are soft. If pork is still tough, continue simmering and checking with the lid open; do not repressurise. Check thicker pork centres reach 75°C for 30 seconds, cooking longer if needed. Season lightly and divide between bowls.
Cooking tips
- Difficulty: Easy.
- The lily bulb retail pack contains 150 g; use 25 g dried petals. Buy apples and pork separately.
- Adding the apple later helps keep some shape. Apple varieties differ in sweetness and how quickly they soften; ordinary eating apples suit this soup. Soaking softens the lily bulb but does not replace cooking.
- The hob and electric pressure-cooker methods use the same main ingredients, with different water quantities and timing. Follow one complete method. Apple and lily bulb are added with the lid open after the pressure has safely released.
Allergens
The listed main ingredients do not intentionally add any of the UK’s 14 major allergens. Check actual packs and any extra seasonings for ingredients and cross-contact information. The Xianyitang dried-ingredient packs state that they are packed in a facility also handling peanuts, tree nuts, sesame and soya. Check the actual labels of every brand used.
Storage and reheating
Keep raw meat and rehydrated ingredients awaiting cooking refrigerated at 5°C or below, following their pack dates. Separate raw and cooked utensils, and clean hands and surfaces after handling. Cool cooked leftovers promptly in shallow containers, refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking, and eat within 48 hours or freeze. Reheat only once until steaming hot throughout.
Shop the Xianyitang ingredients for this recipe
