Winter Melon Soup (冬瓜汤 (dōngguā tāng))
Overview
Winter melon soup is a light Chinese soup, especially popular in Cantonese cooking. Winter melon, a large mild gourd with white flesh, is cut into chunks and simmered with pork ribs or chicken, ginger and sometimes dried shiitake mushrooms or dried scallops. The melon turns soft and translucent and absorbs the flavour of the broth. The soup is seasoned simply with salt and finished with spring onion. It is valued as cooling and soothing in hot weather and is a regular part of family meals.
Pictures
History
Winter melon has long been cultivated in southern China and South and Southeast Asia, and it keeps well for months. Cantonese families often serve a slow-cooked soup with dinner, and winter melon soup is one of the most common. For banquets it is sometimes steamed inside the carved melon itself. Recipes often add dried scallops, ham or lotus seeds, and the soup is considered gentle, nourishing food in traditional Chinese thinking.
Main ingredients
Winter melon, pork ribs, ginger, dried shiitake, goji berries, spring onion. The soup is built on clear pork broth and is usually served hot. Diet: contains meat; usually gluten-free.
Recipe outline serves 4 · ~105 min
Ingredients
- 800 g winter melon, peeled and cubed
- 500 g pork ribs, blanched
- 3 slices ginger
- 4 dried shiitake, soaked
- 1 tbsp goji berries
- salt, spring onion
Allergens: None of the 14 major allergens in the base recipe. Based on the typical recipe. Recipes and products vary; always check labels if you have an allergy.
Method
- Simmer the ribs, ginger and shiitake in 2 l water for 1 hour.
- Add the winter melon and cook for 20 minutes until translucent.
- Add goji berries for the last 5 minutes.
- Season with salt and serve with spring onion.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.