Winter melon, or ash gourd, is a mild-tasting fruit that has a light, refreshing taste that is reminiscent of cucumber and is often used in Asian cuisine.
Chinese winter melon soup has a number of different recipe variations and is a popular dish that is often served in Chinese households.
In this article, I will give you a step-by-step guide on how to make Chinese winter melon soup alongside providing some other inspiration on how to use this delicious fruit.
So, let’s get started.
Before I get into this delicious winter melon recipe, below is a bit of background on the winter melon fruit if you’re unfamiliar with it.
Winter melons are native to Asia and are a medicinal and culinary ingredient favored for their filling nature and neutral flavor.
The large melons are utilized as serving vessels in traditional Chinese banquets. They are hollowed out and filled with cooked soup as a dish to impress guests.
You’ll be able to find winter melons at your local Asian supermarket. Winter melons are often sold pre-sliced in local markets due to their large size.
Winter melon health benefits
While winter melon is low in calories, fat, carbs, and protein it is rich in fiber that is great for your digestion.
Winter melon is also packed full of antioxidants that are believed to promote your health and help protect your body from disease.
Winter melon also contains smaller amounts of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, and manganese, as well as various other B vitamins.
Potential benefits:
As winter melon is good for your digestive system, it may also promote a healthy body weight.
It could prevent ulcers. Animal research indicates that winter melon extracts may help to prevent stomach ulcers in rats.
It may reduce inflammation. Test-tube studies suggest that winter melon extracts may help to reduce inflammation.
Equipment that you’ll need
- A chopping board
- A knife
- A saucepan
- 2 bowls
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound winter melon
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 4 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 2 to 3 slices of ginger
- 1/4 cup diced cooked ham
- 1 green onion, green part only, washed and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Begin by gathering all of the ingredients.
- To begin the winter melon soup, start by washing the winter melon. Next, you need to prepare the winter melon by removing the green skin, pulp, and seeds. Cut into 2-inch pieces.
- Grab a pot and fill it with water before placing it on the stove. Place the winter melon in the pot of water and gently bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow the pot to simmer for approximately 20 minutes or until the winter melon is tender.
- Place the dried shiitake mushrooms in a small bowl. Cover the dried mushrooms with cold water, and set aside for 20 minutes to reconstitute the mushrooms.
- Once you have let the shiitake mushrooms sit for 20 minutes, squeeze out any excess water from the mushrooms. Transfer them to another bowl and set them aside until you need them later on.
- Next, add the mushrooms, ginger, chicken broth, and cooked ham to the pot. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Allow the soup to simmer on the stove for about 20 minutes.
- Grab a bowl and ladle a generous portion of soup into it.
- Next, wash your green onion and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces.
- Add the green onion to garnish the dish.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
- If you have leftovers from this batch of winter melon or make a larger batch, keep your soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This winter melon soup should last for a few days when stored this way.
Tips when making winter melon soup
If you’re pushed for time when making this recipe, preparation is key. To save time, prepare the mushrooms and get them soaking before you begin cooking the winter melon.
By the time that the winter melon is done, you’ll be able to add the shiitake mushrooms to the pan straight away as opposed to waiting for an extra 20 minutes!
If you can’t get hold of winter melon at your local Asian supermarket, you can substitute it for a whole cucumber instead. That being said, keep in mind the flavor will be quite different.
If you use cucumber, make sure you peel it, remove the seeds from the core, and dice.
How long does this winter melon soup take to make?
This recipe tends to take around 50 minutes to prepare and cook, so your guests won’t have to wait too long for this delicious soup!
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 40 mins
- Total: 50 mins
However, as I explained above, you can save valuable time by preparing the shiitake mushrooms as you cook the winter melon. You can also make this soup ahead of time if you’d prefer to entertain your guests.
Just make sure that you heat it all the way through and serve it hot!
Winter melon soup recipe variations
It is easy to add and alter the ingredients in this soup without changing the taste too dramatically. If you don’t have ham on hand, you can substitute it for barbecue pork or shrimp.
If you’d prefer to mix up the vegetable combinations for this recipe then you can do this too! It’s a very versatile recipe, so you can also include other vegetables like carrots, bamboo shoots, or squash!
How else can you eat winter melons?
Winter melon is most often cubed, boiled, and eaten on its own or is prevalently seen in soups, stews, curries, and stir-fries in Indian and Chinese cuisine.
In addition, it can also be fried, candied, baked, or simply peeled and added to salads, or eaten raw similarly to how you’d eat a sliced cucumber.
Winter melon is often a popular addition to juices and smoothies. Alongside this, it can be used to make different candies, ketchup, jam, cakes, ice cream, or sweet Indian delicacies.
