Winter Melon Soup with Pork Ribs (Easy TCM Recipe)
Chinese Winter Melon Soup With Pork Ribs 冬瓜湯 is a famous healthy soup in Chinese cuisine. Despite the name, Dong Gua 冬瓜 is best enjoyed during the hottest summer days instead of the cold winter months. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, winter melon is considered a Yin food with a cooling effect on the body to help clear summer heat and relieve thirst.
- Prep time
- 5 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr 30 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 lbs Wintermelon 冬瓜, seeds removed, cubed
- 1 lbs pork tenderloin 瘦肉
- 50 g Euryale ferox 芡實
- 50 g Lotus seed 蓮子
- 50 g Chinese yam 淮山
- 50 g Poria cocos 茯苓
- 50 g Raw Coix seeds 薏米
- 50g Black Eye Peas 眉豆
- 1 L water 水
- salt to taste 鹽少許
Instructions
- 1
Soak the herbs for 5-10 minutes in a small bowl to remove traces of impurities. This will help remove dust and debris. Rinse and set aside in a small bowl.
- 2
Wash with clean water and pat dry the big slab of winter melon.
- 3
Remove seeds, if any.
- 4
Cut the winter melon into large chunks or into small pieces if your soup pot is small.
- 5
Wash the pork ribs, pork shank or tenderloin with cold water and pat dry with a kitchen paper towel. It is only necessary to cut the pork ribs into small pieces if your pot is not big enough.
- 6
Parboil the pork ribs in a medium pot to remove the impurities and excess foam. Rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- 7
To make the Chinese medicines soup, add the winter melon pieces, pork shank and herbal ingredients into a large pot not made of stainless steel like THIS Perfect Pot or a Buydeem Health Beverage Maker. Although not all Chinese herbs react with metal, it is best not to use a metal pot when making Chinese medicinal herbal soups.
- 8
Fill the pot with enough water to cover to make the clear soup stock. We used approximately 4 litres of cold water.
- 9
Boil at high heat for 30 minutes, then reduce to low heat. Simmer for 60 minutes.
- 10
Salt to taste.
- 11
Serve and enjoy