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Chinese Winter Melon Soup Recipe

Chinese Winter Melon Soup Recipe
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For starters, you will not need a lot of ingredients. But you’ll probably have most of these things in your kitchen already.

Ingredients

Scale
  1. 3 lb winter melon, peeled and cut into thick chunks
  2. 2–2.5 pounds chicken and pork bones Or just one kind, but I prefer a combination for more flavor.
  3. 6 Chinese dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in warm water
  4. 4 dried dates, soaked in warm water
  5. 16–20 cups water to cover ingredients is key for a good broth.
  6. Salt, to taste.
  7. Optional (but for taste, if you want to have something richer) Chicken broth powder.

The thing that I love most about this soup is that it can be made in different ways. The original broth is made from chicken and pork ribs, yet you could use any other meat, beef, lamb, or seafood. I’ve even made it with just chicken bones if that’s all I had and wanted a lighter meal and it still tasted yummy.

Instructions

Prep Your Ingredients:

  1. Cutting half of the winter melon into thick slices and then peeling them off.
  2. How you do it is to ensure that the portions are large enough to support themselves once they are cooking and small enough that they fit into the soup bowls.
  3. Put the chicken and pork bones in water, boil them for a short while, then discard the water and wash the bones.
  4. Place the dried mushrooms and dates in warm water, and soak them for about 20 minutes until soft.

Make the Broth:

  1. Place the bones into a large pot in which you should pour water in portions – 16-20 cups.
  2. Heat it till boiling point then turn down the heat, and allow the water to continue heating on a low flame.
  3. After about an hour the broth must be ready and during this time one should stir it occasionally and remove the scum forming on the surface.

Add the Flavor Makers:

  1. After the broth has turned clear, add the winter melon, dried shiitake mushrooms, and the soaked dates.
  2. Allow the mixture to cook for some other half an hour or so, till the winter melon gets tender, and soak the added spices and the essence.

The soup should have a pleasant shape, although it should easily MELT once it reaches the mouth.

After everything is cooked, taste this soup. Depending on the spiciness of the sauce, I often put some salt and occasionally some chicken broth powder to increase the broth flavor. If you prefer to create a spicy dish, you can also grind in a little white pepper but this isn’t mandatory.

Serve and Enjoy:

  1. Spoon the soup into bowls and remember to divide the tender melon with the broth and the mushrooms nicely.
  2. If you wish to add even more, then sprinkle a few finely chopped cilantro leaves or a few green onions.
  3. The soup is ready for serving!!!

Notes

Meat Variations:

  1. What makes this soup special is the freedom of choice.
  2. If you don’t prefer the taste of pork or chicken, you can add beef bones or possibly lamb bones instead.
  3. If you would like a lighter version, then seafood is good as well.
  4. Use slow cooking, and remember that the duration that it takes for various meat products to be cooked may vary slightly.

Make It Ahead:

  1. This soup is even better eaten the second time the next day because all the flavors meld together.
  2. This dish is a work of art and can be prepared in large quantities and used in the following days.

Clear Broth:

  1. Lifting the foam that forms at the surface of the broth as it boils is important to achieve a clean soup.
  2. This added step gives the soup a nice presentation and keeps the taste very clean.

Nutrition

Keywords: Chinese Winter Melon Soup Recipe, Chinese winter melon soup recipe easy, Chinese winter melon soup recipe with chicken

Find it online: https://alazharfoodie.com/chinese-winter-melon-soup-recipe/