Winter Melon Soup Recipe
One of the most iconic soups in Chinese culture, winter melon soup is a must-try recipe. It’s best known for it’s cooling properties, making it a perfect recipe to enjoy during the summer.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 oz lean ground pork
- 1 tsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- ½ lb winter melon
- ½ medium carrot
- 1 tsp dried scallops
- 4 dried Chinese shiitake mushrooms
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2-3 slices ginger
- ¼ cup cooked ham diced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms and scallops in a bowl of warm water for 20 minutes or until they become soft. Once softened, drain the water and break the scallops up into smaller pieces or strands. Squeeze out any excess water from the mushrooms and chop them in half
- Combine the ground pork, Shaoxing wine, salt and soy sauce in a small bowl. Mix well and then blend in the cornstarch. Continue mixing until the ground pork becomes paste-like. Set aside.
- Wash the winter melon and remove the green skin, seeds and pulp. Then cut it into 2-inch pieces. Peel the carrot and chop into bite-sized pieces.
- In a large pot, add the chicken broth in and bring it to a boil. Carefully add in the rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, scallops, ginger, and cooked ham.
- Using a spoon, scoop about 1 tablespoon of the ground pork mixture and shape it into a ball. As you finish forming the balls, add them to the broth to cook. Repeat until all the ground pork is gone and stir occasionally in between balls to prevent them from sticking to the bottom.
- Let the broth simmer for 5 minutes after finishing the meatballs before adding in the winter melon and carrots. Bring the entire pot to a boil and then simmer for another 20 minutes or until the winter melon becomes transparent.