At the table
Ladle into individual bowls and eat the beans and leaves with a spoon. Let the hot broth cool to a comfortable temperature.
Confirm that the broth contains pork and ask whether chili or other seasonings are added. Tell the staff if you cannot eat broad beans. Contains pork-bone broth and broad beans; not vegetarian or vegan.
Pickling strength and broth richness vary. Here douban means broad-bean halves, not chili-bean paste.
Soft beans can be mashed for a child who manages that texture. Cool the soup and check for stray bone fragments; pickles can be salty.
Recipes vary. Ask the restaurant about ingredients and serving before you order.
GET TO KNOW THE DISH
What goes into it?
Explore some key ingredients below. Preparations may use additional seasonings and ingredients.
Pickling strength and broth richness vary. Here douban means broad-bean halves, not chili-bean paste.
Typical ingredients
Recipes vary by restaurant.
How does it taste?
Tangy and savory, with a mild bean flavor.
- Chili heat
- Texture
- Soft bean halves that retain their shape, tender leaves and smooth broth.
- How it’s made
- Simmer pork bones in water for stock and remove the bones. Cook torn pickled leaves in the stock, add peeled broad-bean halves, and cook until tender without dissolving them.
Pickling strength and broth richness vary. Here douban means broad-bean halves, not chili-bean paste.
A CONNECTION TO PLACE
Origin & regional roots
Associated with Chongqing.
About this regional connection
Chongqing: Associated with Daduokou, Chongqing; the representative home-style recipe is not an exclusive local origin claim.
Ask if they have it first
请问你们有老坛酸菜豆瓣汤吗？
Do you have this item?
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ
Story & history
Pickled-greens and broad-bean soup
This account describes a tradition or story, rather than an established historical fact.
Crock-fermented greens are part of Sichuan–Chongqing home cooking. Combining them with beans and stock makes a shared family soup; Daduokou also has a local old-crock version.