Winter Melon Soup
A simple nutritious clear soup for a hot summer's day.
Ingredients
- 900 Grams Winter Melon
- 500 Grams Thick Sliced Lean Pork
- 1/2 Cup Barley
- 1/3 Cup Shredded Dried Scallop
- 3 Slices Ginger
- 20 Cups Water
- 1 1/2 Tsp Salt
Instructions
- 1. Boil 4 cups of water in a pot and blanch the pork for 2 minutes.
- 2. Drain and rinse pork in cold water.
- 3. Remove peel and seeds from the winter melon and cut them into big pieces.
- 4. Rinse and drain the barley.
- 5. Add the pork, winter melon, barley, shredded dried scallops, and ginger into a big pot with 12 cups of water and bring to a boil.
- 6. Continue boiling on high heat for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-high and boil for 20 minutes, reduce heat to medium, and continue boiling for 30 minutes. Continue boiling on medium-low heat for 45 minutes.
- 7. Add salt to taste.
Notes
1. Remove the peel of the winter melon by first cutting it into large chunks. Then place the flat side of the flesh on a cutting board and use a sharp heavy knife to cut the peel away from the flesh by keeping the blade firmly against the flesh.
2. Shredding whole or big pieces of dried scallops requires first rinsing them in cold water, placing them in a pot of water, and bringing them to a boil for 5 minutes. Shred the softened dried scallops when the water has cooled. Save the flavorful water for use.
3. Many recipes call for softened shredded dried scallops, but it takes some time to get this done. So a handy way is to prepare them in advance in large batches. Follow the steps above, then store the shredded scallops and the water in several small containers and freeze. Thaw in the fridge and they will be ready for use.
3. Blanching the meat is a basic step for making most Cantonese soup. This procedure removes the scum from the meat to keep the soup clear.